Falls are the leading cause of death and serious injury on Canadian construction sites, which is why fall-protection law is among the most prescriptive safety rules you will meet. The general construction trigger is the same across the country: once you can fall 3 metres (about 10 feet), you must have a fall-protection system in place. But the height is only the start. There are situations where protection is required at any height, Ontario adds a mandatory training certificate, and British Columbia adds a written-plan threshold on top of the 3 metre rule. Know your province before you climb.
The 3 metre general trigger
Across Canada, the general construction trigger for fall protection is 3 metres. In Ontario it sits in O. Reg. 213/91 section 26; British Columbia, Alberta, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia all use the same 3 metre general height. The remaining provinces and territories (PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Yukon) are consistent with this national 3 metre standard, but you should confirm the exact figure and any local add-on with that jurisdiction's regulator before you rely on it.
When height does not matter at all
The 3 metre number is a floor, not a free pass below it. Fall protection is required at any height, regardless of the drop, when you are working:
- near an unguarded hole, opening or shaft
- over or near a skylight or other fragile surface
- above moving machinery or rotating parts
- where there is an impalement hazard (rebar, stakes)
- over an open tank, pit, or a vessel holding a hazardous substance
Several provinces also set a lower trigger for specific situations. Alberta, for example, requires protection at 1.2 metres at permanent work areas, and Quebec triggers at lower heights over wells, tanks and vats. The rule of thumb: if a fall could realistically hurt you, protect against it even under 3 metres.
British Columbia's two-tier rule
BC is the only province with a written-plan height threshold layered on the general trigger. Under the OHS Regulation Part 11, the 3 metre general trigger still applies, but a written fall-protection plan becomes mandatory where a worker could fall 7.5 metres (25 feet) or more, or where the standard hierarchy of guardrails, then restraint, then arrest cannot practically be used. That plan must be at the workplace before the work begins. So in BC you can be compliant on height yet still missing a required document.
Ontario's Working at Heights training
Ontario has the most prescriptive fall-protection training requirement in Canada. Any worker on a construction project who uses a travel-restraint, fall-restricting, or fall-arrest system, a safety net, work belt or safety belt, must complete Working at Heights (WAH) training. Three things matter:
- The training must be delivered by a provider approved by the Chief Prevention Officer (CPO).
- The certificate is valid for 3 years from successful completion.
- Renewal is a refresher program (practical elements), available only to workers who already completed the full approved program, and it renews for another 3 years.
WAH training is in addition to the equipment-specific training under O. Reg. 213/91 section 26.2, it does not replace it. Updated program standards came into force on 1 April 2024, adding content on ladders, skylights and damaged equipment. If you run an Ontario crew, treat a current WAH card as a condition of letting anyone tie off.
Travel restraint versus fall arrest
The two are not interchangeable, and choosing the right one is part of your plan:
- Travel restraint stops you reaching the edge in the first place. The lanyard is set short enough that you physically cannot get to the fall hazard. It is the preferred option because no fall actually occurs, so there is no impact, no clearance calculation and no rescue problem.
- Fall arrest lets you reach the edge and catches you after you fall. It needs a full-body harness, a rated anchor (BC, for example, requires anchors rated to 22 kN for arrest), enough clearance below so you do not hit a lower level before the system stops you, and a written rescue plan for getting a suspended worker down quickly to avoid suspension trauma.
The safety hierarchy is: eliminate the hazard, then use guardrails, then travel restraint, then fall arrest as the last line. Reaching for a harness first, when a guardrail or restraint would do, is doing it backwards.
Common mistakes
- Treating 3 metres as the only number. Holes, skylights, machinery and impalement hazards demand protection at any height.
- Skipping the BC written plan. Above 7.5 metres in BC, the plan is mandatory and must be on site before work starts.
- Letting an expired WAH card slide in Ontario. After 3 years the worker is no longer legally permitted to work at heights until renewed.
- Confusing restraint and arrest. Restraint prevents the fall; arrest catches it and needs clearance, a rated anchor and a rescue plan.
Common questions
When do I need fall protection?
In most provinces fall protection is required once you could fall about 3 metres, and sooner in some situations (Alberta requires it from 1.2 metres at certain permanent workplaces, and protection is needed at lower heights near edges, openings, water or operating machinery). Check your province's OHS regulation for the exact trigger.
What counts as fall protection?
A guardrail is the first choice because it is passive. Where that is not practical you move to travel restraint, then a fall-arrest system (a full-body harness, lanyard and a rated anchor), and finally a control zone or safety net. Harness work also needs a written plan and a rescue procedure.
Do I need working-at-heights training?
In Ontario, yes: workers on construction projects who use fall protection must have approved Working at Heights training. Other provinces require training and demonstrated competency under their OHS rules even where the course has a different name. Confirm what your province and employer require.
Know someone who needs this?
Keep reading
Was this guide useful?
Didn't find what you were looking for?
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Email us at hello@kilnguides.co.uk.
In crisis? 988 Suicide Crisis Helpline (call or text 988) ·