How often should fall protection equipment be inspected?

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# Body Belts, Harnesses, and Lanyards (cont.) ## What should you know about fall protective equipment? (cont.) - Keep a written record of the inspection. - Replace defective equipment. If there is any doubt about the safety of the equipment, do not use it and ask your supervisor for help. - Replace any equipment, including ropes, that have been involved in a fall. Do not use until you have asked your supervisor and/or checked with a competent person or the manufacturer. - Every piece of fall arrest equipment should be inspected and certified at least yearly or more often by a trained and competent person. Keep written records of inspections and approvals. - Use shock absorbers if the arresting forces of the lanyard alone can cause injury (unless doing so can cause the wearer to hit the ground or an object after falling). - Follow the manufacturer's instructions about: - The purpose of the device - Hazard warnings - Use and limitations - The stretch distance of the harness - Fitting and adjusting - Recommendations for care (cleaning, maintenance, and storage) and inspection - The purpose and function of the fall arrest indicator - A warning if a fall occurs or inspection reveals an unsafe condition that the device be taken out of service until it has been determined safe for use or destroyed by a competent person - Instructions for proper application, use, and connecting to full body harness of any rescue device. Body Belts, Harnesses, and Lanyards CCOHS

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# Back to Top (cont.) ## Operating and maintenance manuals (cont.) (2) Where either of the manuals referred to in subsection (1) is not available, the equipment shall not be used until the manual is obtained, or until written instructions for the safe operation and maintenance of the equipment are supplied by a professional engineer. 5/12 s203 ## Back to Top ## Inspection and maintenance records 204. (1) Records of inspection, maintenance, repair and modification shall be kept for an elevating work platform by the equipment operator and a person inspecting and maintaining the equipment. (2) Where the inspection and maintenance records required under subsection (1) are not available, an elevating work platform shall be inspected and certified by a professional engineer before use, and an inspection and maintenance recording system shall be established as required by subsection (1). 5/12 s204 Back to Top ## Shift inspection 205. An elevating work platform shall be inspected by the operator before use on each shift and a condition that could endanger workers shall be remedied before the platform may be used. 5/12 s205 ## Back to Top ## Annual inspection and certification 206. (1) An elevating work platform shall be inspected, maintained, repaired and modified in accordance with (a) the manufacturer's instructions; (b) the relevant CSA Standard as specified in section 202 ; (c) the direction of a professional engineer; or (d) another standard acceptable to the minister. (2) An insulated aerial device shall be dielectrically tested at least annually in accordance with CSA Standard CAN/CSA-C225 "Vehicle Mounted Aerial Devices" or other standard acceptable to the minister and the insulating capability of the aerial device shall be certified by the testing agency. ## Back to Top 5/12 s206 ## Fall protection - elevating work platform 207. (1) A person on an elevating work platform shall wear a personal fall arrest system secured to an anchorage po…

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# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE (cont.) ## Rope adjustment device for work positioning (cont.) Section 149 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE Part 9 AR 191/2021 (c) NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services, 2006 Edition, classified as general or light duty. ## Wood pole climbing - 149(1) An employer must ensure that a worker working on or from a wood pole uses fall restrict equipment that is approved to CSA Standard Z259.14-01, Fall Restrict Equipment for Wood Pole Climbing, in combination with (a) a lineman's body belt that (i) is approved to CSA Standard Z259.3-M1978 (R2003), Lineman's Body Belt and Lineman's Safety Strap, or (ii) complies with section 142.1, - or (b) a full body harness that complies with section 142(1). - 149(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to fall restrict equipment or a lineman's body belt in use before April 30, 2004. ## Equipment compatibility 150 An employer must ensure that all components of a fall protection system are compatible with one another and with the environment in which they are used. ## Inspection and maintenance - 150.1 An employer must ensure that the equipment and personal protective equipment used as part of a fall protection system is (a) inspected by the worker as required by the manufacturer before it is used on each work shift, (b) kept free from substances and conditions that could contribute to deterioration of the equipment and personal protective equipment, and (c) re-certified as specified by the manufacturer. ## Removal from service 150.2(1) An employer must ensure that equipment and personal protective equipment used as part of a fall protection system is removed from service and either returned to the manufacturer or destroyed if (a) it is defective, or (b) it has come into contact with excessive heat, a chemical or any other substance that may corrode or otherwise damage the fall protection system. 150.2(2) An employer must…

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# Part 9 Fall Protection (cont.) ## Fall protection plan (cont.) Section 141 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE AR 191/2021 Part 9 (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) emergenc…

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# Body Belts, Harnesses, and Lanyards (cont.) ## Do body belts, harnesses, and lanyards have use limits? (cont.) Legislation in Canada requires that fall protection devices meet an approved standard. The legislation sometimes, but not always, requires that personal protective equipment be re- certified. For example, the legislation in Alberta requires that personal protective equipment used as part of a fall protection plan be re-certified as specified by the manufacturer, while the legislation in British Columbia and Ontario does not have such a specific requirement. However, employers have a general duty to protect their workers, and re-certification can help ensure that the equipment offers the same level of protection offered by new equipment. The equipment manufacturer may recommend re-certification or inspections by qualified persons at certain frequencies. The equipment needs to be inspected before each use. Standards may also recommend frequencies for inspections. For example, CSA standard Z259.10-18 (R2023) Full body harnesses suggests an annual (or more frequent) inspection by a trained and competent person. Some inspection guidance is provided below but always refer to the user instructions from the equipment's manufacturer. ## How do you inspect the webbing (body of belt, harness, or lanyard)? - Inspect the entire surface of webbing for damage. Beginning at one end, hold the body side of the webbing toward you, grasp the belt with your hands six to eight inches apart and bend it in the shape of an upside down "U". Repeat this for the entire length of the webbing. - Watch for frayed edges, broken fibres, pulled stitches, cuts, or chemical damage. Broken webbing strands generally appear as tufts on the webbing surface. - Replace according to manufacturers' guidelines. ## How do you inspect the buckle? - Inspect for loose, distorted, or broken grommets. Do not cut or punch additional holes. - Check any belt without grommets for torn or elongate…

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# Back to Top (cont.) ## Training requirement 139. A worker shall not use fall protection equipment after January 1, 2012 unless the worker has completed a training program on fall protection prescribed by the commission. 5/12 s139; 43/22 s23 ## Back to Top ## Fall protection systems 140. Where an employer determines it is impractical to provide adequate work platforms or staging, the employer shall ensure that fall protection systems are used by all workers who are exposed to the hazard of falling, as required in section 141 5/12 s140 ## Back to Top ## General requirements 141. Where a worker is exposed to the hazard of falling from a work area that is (a) 3 metres or more above the nearest safe surface or water; (b) above a surface or thing that could cause injury to the worker if the worker were to fall on the surface or thing; or (c) above an open tank, pit or vat containing hazardous material, - the employer shall ensure that (d) the worker is provided with a fall arrest system that meets the requirements of section 142 ; (e) a guardrail that meets the requirements of section 28 is constructed or installed at the work area; (f) a personnel safety net that meets the requirements of section 143 is installed at the work area; (g) temporary flooring that meets the requirements of section 146 is constructed or installed at the work area; or (h) the worker is provided with another means of fall protection that provides a level of safety equal to or greater than a fall arrest system that meets the requirements of section 142 5/12 s141 ## Back to Top ## Fall arrest system 142. (1) A fall arrest system that is provided in accordance with section 141 shall (a) be adequately secured to (i) an anchorage point, or

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# Inspection of Respiratory Protective Devices (cont.) ## Lanyards (cont.) (2) Before using a vertical lifeline, a worker shall ensure that (a) the lower end extends to the ground or to a safe landing; and (b) the lifeline is protected at the lower end to ensure that the line cannot be fouled by any equipment. (3) Before using a full body harness, a worker shall ensure that the full body harness is (a) properly adjusted to fit the worker securely; and (b) attached by means of a connecting linkage to a personal fall arrest system, lifeline or fixed anchor. (4) A worker who uses a full body harness and connecting linkage shall ensure that the connecting linkage is attached to a personal fall arrest system, lifeline or fixed anchor. ## Inspections 109. (1) If these regulations require the use of a connecting linkage, personal fall arrest system, full body harness or lifeline, an employer shall ensure that a competent individual (a) inspects it in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations; (b) inspects it after it has been used to arrest a fall; and (c) determines whether it is safe for continued use. (2) An employer shall ensure that a worker inspects a connecting linkage, personal fall arrest system, full body harness or lifeline before each use and that if it has a defect or is in a condition that could endanger a worker, (a) steps are taken, without delay, to protect the health and safety of any worker who could be endangered until the defect is repaired or the condition is corrected; and (b) as soon as is reasonably possible, the defect is repaired or the condition is corrected. - Protection Against Drowning 110. (1) In this section, "buoyant apparatus" means a device that is capable of supporting, in water, the weight of a worker and that is constructed to (a) remain stable when floating on either side, (b) have no projections that would prevent the buoyant apparatus from sliding easily over the side of a boat or sh…