A core interactive course that trains workers to inspect scaffolds for the defects that actually cause collapses and falls, from missing planks to bad footing to absent guardrails. Its 19 interactions and 6 competencies let a worker read a green, yellow, or red tag and know whether it's safe to climb on.
Scaffold hazard recognition training for every worker who works on, under, or around scaffolds and temporary work platforms — in construction, masonry, industrial maintenance, manufacturing, utilities, events and staging, and general industry. Aligned with the Manitoba WSH Act (C.C.S.M. c.
Turn scaffold hazard recognition from a lucky glance into a trained, deliberate skill — so that every worker on, under, or around a scaffold can see the five families of scaffold hazard before they cause harm, name the hazard out loud, and respond the same…
At a glance
Format: Online, self-paced and interactive
Length: about 1 hour 15 minutes, 5 modules
Pass mark: 80% on the final test
Certificate: QR-verified, valid for one year
Jurisdiction: Manitoba law and standards
Who this course is for
Workers who erect, use, or work near scaffolds and access platforms on construction and industrial sites.
Construction and masonry crews who work from scaffolds and temporary platforms
Labourers, apprentices and general trades new to recognizing scaffold hazards
Industrial maintenance, shutdown and turnaround workers around scaffolds
Workers who work UNDER or beside scaffolds and in drop zones (the falling-object exposure)
Supervisors and lead hands who need a shared hazard vocabulary with their crews
What you will learn
Treat scaffold hazard recognition as a trained, deliberate skill — a scaffold hazard rarely announces itself, and recognition is the first line of defence
Map the five families of scaffold hazard: falls, falling objects, instability/collapse, site hazards acting on the scaffold, and defective/mismatched components
Recognize fall hazards (incomplete decking, missing or defeated guardrails, open edges, unsafe access) and falling-object hazards (dropped tools/materials, missing toeboards, the people in the drop zone below)
Recognize instability and collapse hazards: inadequate or undermined footings, missing ties and bracing, overloading, out-of-plumb structures, and mobile-tower tip-over
Recognize the site hazards that act on a scaffold: overhead powerlines and electrocution, struck-by mobile equipment, Manitoba wind, ice and snow load, and adjacent operations
Recognize defective, damaged, corroded or mismatched components and failed planks as hazards in their own right
Course outline
What You're Not Seeing — Why hazard recognition is a trained skill, not a talent or a lucky glance — a scaffold hazard rarely announces itself.
The Two Directions of Gravity — The two directions of gravity on a scaffold. FALL hazards: incomplete decking, missing or defeated guardrails, open edges, and unsafe…
When the Structure Fails — Instability and collapse — recognized from the base up. Foundation hazards (inadequate, soft, undermined or uneven footings; missing base…
The Site Around the Scaffold — The hazards that act ON a scaffold from the site around it. Overhead powerlines and electrocution (a scaffold conducts; you need no contact…
The Hazard in the Parts — and Making the Call — The fifth family — defective, damaged, corroded or mismatched components and failed planks: the hazard hiding in a scaffold that looks…
Laws and standards covered
Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act (C.C.S.M. c. W210)
Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006
Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006
Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006
Certificate and renewal
Passing the final test issues a QR-verified certificate, valid for one year. Orientra’s standard is for training to be reviewed at least annually and whenever the scaffold systems, equipment, or site conditions change.
Common questions
How long does Scaffold Hazard Awareness take?
About 1 hour 15 minutes online, over 5 modules, at your own pace. It ends with a final test that needs 80% to pass.
How long is the Scaffold Hazard Awareness certificate valid?
One year from the day you pass. Orientra’s standard is for training to be reviewed at least annually and whenever the scaffold systems, equipment, or site conditions change.
Which laws and standards does Scaffold Hazard Awareness cover?
Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act (C.C.S.M. c. W210); Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006; Manitoba WSH Regulation MR 217/2006; and 5 more listed on this page.
Who should take Scaffold Hazard Awareness?
Workers who erect, use, or work near scaffolds and access platforms on construction and industrial sites.