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Fall assessment plan

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To develop a comprehensive fall assessment plan, the following structured risk assessment is proposed:

  1. Identify Potential Hazards:
    • Workplace Hazards: Identify areas where there is a risk of falling, such as unguarded edges, elevated platforms, or areas with slippery surfaces.
    • Task-Related Hazards: Tasks that require working at heights, such as maintenance on rooftops or scaffolding, should be assessed for fall risks.
    • Equipment Hazards: Ensure that all equipment used for working at heights, such as ladders and scaffolds, are in good condition and used correctly.
  1. Assess Risks:
    • Likelihood: Evaluate how often workers are exposed to fall hazards and the probability of a fall occurring.
    • Severity: Consider the potential injuries that could result from a fall, such as fractures or head injuries.
  1. Control Measures:
    • Elimination: Where possible, eliminate the need to work at heights by using extendable tools or relocating tasks to ground level.
    • Substitution: Use safer equipment or methods, such as mobile elevating work platforms instead of ladders.
    • Engineering Controls: Install guardrails, safety nets, or other barriers to prevent falls.
    • Administrative Controls: Implement work procedures that minimize time spent at heights and ensure workers are trained in fall prevention and rescue procedures.
    • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): Provide and ensure the use of appropriate fall protection systems, such as harnesses and lanyards, that meet CSA standards [1].
  1. Monitoring and Review:
    • Regularly inspect fall protection equipment and systems to ensure they are in good working order [2].
    • Review and update the fall protection plan whenever there are changes in the work environment or procedures [3].
    • Conduct regular training sessions and drills to ensure workers are familiar with fall protection systems and rescue procedures [3].
  1. Recommendations:
    • Develop a detailed fall protection plan in consultation with the workplace committee or health and safety representative, ensuring it includes identified hazards, chosen fall protection systems, and rescue procedures [2].
    • Ensure the fall protection plan is readily available at the workplace and reviewed with workers before work begins [3].
    • Train workers in the safe use of fall protection systems, including pre-use inspections and emergency response procedures [3].

By following these steps, the risk of falls in the workplace can be significantly reduced, ensuring a safer environment for all employees.

3 source record(s)

Sources used for this answer

[1] Occupational Health and Safety Code

Page 96

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Source excerpt

- (d) that clearance distances below the work area, if applicable, have been confirmed as sufficient to prevent a worker from striking the ground or an object or level below the work area, - (e) the procedures used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use and disassemble the fall protection system, where applicable, and - (f) the rescue procedures to be used if a worker falls and is suspended by a personal fall arrest system or safety net and needs to be rescued. - 140 (3) The employer must ensure that the fall protection plan is available at the work site and is reviewed with workers before work with a risk of falling begins. - 140 (4) The employer must ensure that the plan is updated when conditions affecting fall protection change. ## Instruction of workers 141 (1) An employer must ensure that a worker is trained in the safe use of the fall protection system before allowing the worker to work in an area where a fall protection system must be used. - 141 (2) The training referred to in subsection (1) must include the following: - (a) a review of current Alberta legislation pertaining to fall protection; - (b) an understanding of what a fall protection plan is; - (c) fall protection methods a worker is required to use at a work site; - (d) identification of fall hazards; - (e) assessment and selection of specific anchors that the worker may use; - (f) instructions for the correct use of connecting hardware; - (g) information about the effect of a fall on the human body, including - (i) maximum arresting force, - (ii) the purpose of shock and energy absorbers, - (iii) swing fall, and - (iv) free fall; - (h) pre-use inspection; - (i) emergency response procedures to be used at the work site, if necessary; - (j) practice in - (i) inspecting, fitting, adjusting and connecting fall protection systems and components, and - (ii) emergency response procedures. 141 (3) In addition to the training described in subsection (2), an employer must ensure that a worker is made awar…

[2] Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/86-304)

Page 145

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Source excerpt

- (4) If a fall hazard zone system has been established in a work place, the employer must ensure that every person who is granted access to the work place is informed of the fall hazard zone system's existence and is familiar with the procedures to be followed for accessing, performing work in and leaving the fall hazard zone. SOR/2019-243, s. 4. ## Protection Equipment and Procedures ## Fall Protection 12.09 (1) If there is a risk of injury due to falling in a work place and the fall-protection plan requires that a personal fall-protection system be used, the employer must provide such a system to every person - other than a person who is installing or dismantling a fall-protection system - who is granted access to the work place. - (2) A personal fall-protection system must meet the requirements set out in the following CSA Group standards: - (a) Z 259.16, Design of active fall-protection systems ; and - (b) Z 259.17, Selection and use of active fall-protection equipment and systems . - (3) The components of a personal fall-protection system must meet the requirements set out in the following CSA Group standards: - (a) Z 259.1, Body belts and saddles for work positioning and travel restraint ; - (b) Z 259.2.2, Self-retracting devices ; - (c) Z 259.2.3, Descent devices ; - (d) Z 259.2.4, Fall arresters and vertical rigid rails ; - (e) Z 259.2.5, Fall arresters and vertical lifelines ; - (f) Z 259.10, Full body harnesses ; - (g) Z 259.11, Personal energy absorbers and lanyards ; - (h) Z 259.12, Connecting components for personal fall-arrest systems (PFAS) ; - (4) L'employeur doit veiller à ce que toute personne à qui est permis l'accès au lieu de travail soit informée de l'existence de tout système pour zone de risque de chute et connaisse bien la marche à suivre pour y accéder, y travailler et en sortir. DORS/2019-243, art. 4. ## Procédures et équipements de protection ## Protection contre les c…

[3] Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations (SOR/86-304)

Page 142

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Source excerpt

referred to in paragraphs ( 1 )(a) to (d), the equipment must be stored, maintained, inspected, tested, fitted, installed, used or dismantled in accordance with the fallprotection plan. SOR/2019-243, s. 4. ## Fall Protection ## Fall-protection Plan - 12.06 (1) If there is a risk of injury due to falling in any of the circumstances described in paragraphs 12.07 1 ( )(a), (b) or (c) in a work place, the employer must, before any work activities begin, - (a) develop a fall-protection plan in consultation with the work place committee or the health and safety representative; and - (b) ensure that a copy of the fall-protection plan is readily available at the work place for consultation. - (2) The fall-protection plan must specify - (a) the hazards that have been identified for each work area and each activity to be carried out at the work place; - (b) the fall-protection systems that have been chosen to protect against the identified hazards; - (c) if a personal fall-protection system is used, the anchorage to be used during the work; - (d) if a fall-arrest system is used, the clearance distance below each work area; - (e) if there are no manufacturer's instructions with respect to the storage, maintenance, inspection, testing, fitting, installation, use or dismantling of equipment that is used in a fall-protection system and that is provided by an employer, the procedures to be followed for the purposes of paragraphs 12.05 1 ( )(a) to (d); and - (f) the rescue procedures to be followed if a person falls. - (3) The fall-protection plan must include, in annex, a copy of any manufacturer's instructions with respect to the storage, maintenance, inspection, testing, fitting, d'installation, d'utilisation, de démontage et de maintien dans un état de propreté et de salubrité prévues aux alinéas ( 1 )a) à d) sont exécutées conformément au plan de protection contre les chutes. DORS/2019-243, a…

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