Wednesday, January 22, 2020

OSSA vs ESC vs Industry Training – Is There a Difference?

Changing training requirements in Alberta

What we know

Back in October 2017, the Oil Sands Association of Canada (OSSA) and Enform Canada merged together to create Energy Safety Canada (ESC) with the intention of becoming the national safety association for the oil and gas industry, improving safe work performance and creating an incident free workplace.

Following the merger, ESC continues to work on transitioning all OSSA training courses to become ESC courses. The first of these courses to roll out was Fall Protection in November 2019. The launch of the new ESC Fall Protection course resulted in a divided decision by the training providers. While some providers opted to retrain their instructors and become authorized under ESC, there are several others who continue to deliver their own industry fall protection, sometimes in addition to the ESC-approved course.

Is there a difference?

Both ESC-endorsed and industry training meet the same occupational health and safety standard of training, cover much of the same content, have the same eight-hour course length, and incorporate the same three-year recertification cycle. The majority of training providers of industry fall protection are also former OSSA providers and are often also certified by ESC. They continue to teach their own industry courses as they believe in the value of their own programs, which meet and often exceed Alberta occupational health and safety standards.

Below is a comparison of public course information across three different Alberta training providers that teach their own industry fall protection, as well as Energy Safety Canada.

	Alberta BC Safety;	Fall Protection Group	Astec Safety	Energy Safety Canada
Industry or ESC	Industry	Industry	Industry	ESC
Course Duration	8 hours	8.5 hours	8 hours	8 hours
Certification Period	3 years	3 years	3 years	3 years
Course Description	This Fall Protection course is designed to meet industry standards and is guaranteed to be accepted at any site within the province the course was taken. The course is approximately eight hours in duration and includes an instructor led presentation, practical exercises, class discussion, DVD presentation, written knowledge test, and a practical exam.	This full-day end-user program will allow you to understand the use of fall protection, as it relates to what you do at height. Various fall protection options exist; this course will identify which options may best meet your needs, and give you the tools and knowledge to work at height safely.	Students will design a Fall Protection Plan, don a harness, and participate in a controlled weight transfer where they are lifted approx. 1 foot off the ground while wearing the harness.	Engage in hands-on training and learn protection methods for preventing falls. This course replaces the former OSSA-approved Fall Protection training courses. Designed for workers who need basic fall protection training to work in areas with potential fall hazards.
Topics Covered	Eliminating fall hazards Legislation and standards pertaining to fall protection Employer and worker responsibilities Recent statistical information, workplace incidents, and the need for training Methods of eliminating, analyzing, preventing, and controlling falls Rescue and escape planning Pre-use visual inspections Impact forces Fall clearance Fall protection systems	Hazard identification Regulatory bodies Fall safety systems and planning Shared and personal systems Anchor points Body holding devices Connectors Descent/rescue overview Equipment care Hands-on workshop	Assessing hazards Fall protection, fall arrest, and fall restraint systems; Body harness types and uses; Equipment inspection and maintenance; Free fall, total fall, and clearance required distances; Applicable legislation and industry recommended practices.	Fall protection concepts Legislation and regulations Safety measures and best practices Identifying and assessing fall hazards Fall arrest systems and equipment Protection planning Effects on fall and fall rescue planning

What does this mean for employees, employers, and site owners?

Requiring OSSA-approved training to work on an OSSA site was simple. However, this transitionary period has left many employees, employers, and site owners unsure of what should be accepted. Many will choose to stick with the ESC-approved training as ESC was formerly OSSA. Others will look to integrate more cost effective and easily accessible industry training options into their recruitment and training practices. Both industry and ESC certified courses are almost identical in content and delivery— each meeting or exceeding Alberta occupational health and safety standards—ensuring that the same high-quality training experienced through OSSA is consistently met and accepted for workers across the province.

With over 200 training partners nationwide, CLAC Training works directly with employers to provide high-quality training that meets the needs of industry. We guarantee that any ESC or industry training offered in-house or by our training partners has been vetted by us to ensure that it meets our promise of quality, reliable training.

OSSA vs ESC vs Industry Training – Is There a Difference?

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