Ontario’s New Elevated Work Platform Regulation: What Employers Need to Know

Ontario has introduced a new regulation specific to elevating work platforms. O. Reg. 117/26: Elevating Work Platforms creates a stand-alone regulation for elevating work platforms and introduces more detailed training, recordkeeping, and equipment-use requirements for employers. It will take effect on January 1, 2027, giving employers a clear deadline to update policies, training, and documentation in advance.

What's changing

At this point, many elevated work platform requirements sat within Ontario Regulation 213/91 for construction projects. O. Reg. 117/26 pulls those rules into a separate regulation and applies them to “all projects.” It also expands the definition of elevating work platforms to include mast climbing work platforms, mobile elevating work platforms (MEWPs), and vehicle-mounted aerial devices.

The regulation also links compliance to relevant CSA standards and adds a more structured framework for inspection, use, maintenance, and training requirements. For employers, that means compliance is no longer just about having a lift and an operator — the machine, the worker, and the training program must meet the new rules. These regulatory requirements come into effect January 1, 2027.

Employer obligations

Employers must ensure that a worker operating any mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) completes the required training program before operating it for the first time. The regulation says that training must be both theory and practical, must cover each group and type of equipment the worker will use, and must include methods for evaluating the worker’s ability to operate the equipment, including demonstrated proficiency.

Employers must also keep written training records showing the type of equipment covered, the date of training, the worker’s name, and the instructor’s name and signature, and provide proof of completion on request. In addition, if the specific make and model was not covered in the original training, the employer must provide familiarization on that exact machine before it is used.

Training requirements

The new training standard is much more detailed than a basic lift orientation. Section 10 of the new regulation lists 17 topic areas, including:

• risk assessment,

• equipment selection,

• inspections and maintenance,

• hazard identification,

• PPE, and

• rescue procedures.

For other elevating work platforms that are not mobile elevating work platforms, the regulation still requires oral and written instruction before first use. That instruction must cover the manufacturer’s instructions, load limits, proper control use, and the surface limitations for the equipment.

Compliance timing

There is a transition period for workers who already completed training that meets section 147 requirements under Ontario Regulation 213/91 for the same group and type of equipment. Those workers do not need to complete training that meets new requirements until five years after the date their original training was completed. For example, workers who complete EWP training in June 2026 would not need training again until June 2031 at the latest.

That grace period does not remove the need to review current records, identify training dates, and confirm whether existing training actually matches the new regulation's requirements. Employers should treat 2026 as the year to audit their training programs, training matrix, and documentation system.

What employers should do

Employers should audit their current training program to establish whether it satisfies the new regulatory requirements, confirm who is qualified to deliver and evaluate training, and set up a recordkeeping process that will stand up to inspection.

Review existing programs and training providers now, rather than waiting until 2027. For many employers, this will also be the right time to update safe work procedures, pre-start inspection checklists, and equipment assignment rules.

Why this matters

Employers who act early will reduce compliance risk, improve worker competence, and make inspections easier to manage once the regulation comes into force.

How Correct Compliance can help

Correct Compliance can help employers review their EWP training program, identify gaps against O. Reg. 117/26, and build a practical compliance plan before the January 2027 deadline. We can support training documentation reviews, policy updates, site-ready procedures, and customized implementation plans for employers that want a smoother transition.

Our team can also help you standardize operator training records, create audit-ready compliance files, and align your internal process with the new regulation’s training and familiarization requirements. For employers, that means less guesswork, less disruption, and stronger protection against MLITSD inspections, orders and fines.