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Rope access safety requiremetns

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Rope access work necessitates strict adherence to safety requirements and regulations to ensure worker safety. These include the development of a safe work plan, hazard assessments, proper worker training, and the use of appropriate fall protection systems and emergency procedures.

A rope access safe work plan is crucial when a worker may fall 3 meters or more, or if there is an unusual possibility of injury from a fall of less than 3 meters. This plan must be available at the work site before work begins and should specify:

  • The hazards associated with the work.
  • How these hazards will be eliminated or controlled.
  • The rope access system to be used.
  • Procedures for assembling, maintaining, inspecting, and disassembling the rope access system.
  • The names and duties of the work team members.
  • The required personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • An emergency response plan. [2]

A hazard assessment must be conducted at the work site, and safe work practices must include the use of work positioning systems and fall protection systems. Workers must be trained in hazard recognition, equipment selection and limitations, and the proper operation, inspection, and maintenance of equipment and PPE. [1]

Emergency procedures must be in place to address equipment malfunctions, falls, or injuries that leave a worker suspended and requiring rescue. Workers must be trained in the rope access safe work plan, safe work practices, and the safe use of the rope access system before being allowed to work in an area where such a system is used. [1] [1]

Additional requirements include:

  • Ensuring equipment used during rope access work is not suspended from the worker's working line or safety line.
  • Suspending equipment weighing more than 8 kilograms from a separate line secured to a suitable anchorage.
  • Verifying that all components of the rope access system are compatible with each other and the environment.
  • Inspecting components of the rope access system before each work shift and re-certifying them as specified by the manufacturer.
  • Maintaining components free from substances and conditions that could cause deterioration.
  • Ensuring the working line and safety line are the same diameter. [1]

[1] [1] [1] [1]

For industrial rope access work, employers must follow specific safe work practices, such as those published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association, the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians, or the Australian Rope Access Association. At least 2 workers trained in industrial rope access work must be present when rope access equipment and techniques are used. [5] [5]

A worker performing industrial rope access work must maintain a personal logbook containing a record of the work performed, including the date, type of work, structure worked on, and hours worked using rope access techniques. The logbook must be current, available for inspection, and verified and signed by the rope access supervisor or worksite manager. [4] [4] [4] [4]

Rope access systems for industrial rope access work must:

  • Limit the maximum arresting force on a worker to 6 kilonewtons.
  • Prevent the worker from striking a lower surface.
  • Minimize the hazards of swinging and striking an object. [4]

Anchors for industrial rope access systems must have an ultimate breaking strength of at least 16 kilonewtons per worker attached. If this is not feasible, an anchor with an ultimate breaking strength of 2 times the estimated maximum arresting force may be used. [4] [4]

A safety, secondary, belay, or backup line is required when the working line is the primary means of support, each with separate anchorage connections to the worker's harness. Workers must be trained to perform self-rescue, and be promptly rescued in case of equipment malfunction, fall, or injury. [4] [4] [5] [5]

When performing non-industrial rope access work:

  • The rope system must limit the fall factor on a worker to 1\.78, unless doing so exposes the worker to other greater hazards.
  • The system must prevent the worker from striking a lower surface that could cause injury, unless doing so exposes the worker to other greater hazards.
  • The system must minimize the hazards of swinging and striking an object that could injure the worker. [3]

Anchors used for non-industrial rope access work must have an ultimate breaking strength of at least 16 kilonewtons per worker attached. If this is not practicable, an anchor with an ultimate breaking strength per attached worker of 2 times the estimated maximum arresting force may be used. [3] [3]

Workers involved in training for occupational rope access work or performing occupational rope access work may use alternative equipment, PPE, and practices than those specified. Similarly, workers involved in emergency rescue services or training may also use alternative equipment, PPE, and practices. [2] [2]

Note: This Part does not apply to workers using fall protection systems specified in Part 9\. [2]

5 source record(s)

Sources used for this answer

[1] Occupational Health and Safety Code (Alberta Regulation 191/2021)

Page 325

Open source document

Source excerpt

# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE (cont.) ## Worker competency (cont.) Section 842 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE Part 41 AR 191/2021 (ii) British Columbia Cave Rescue Companion Rescue Workshop (2005), published by British Columbia Cave Rescue. ## Fall factor, clearance, anchorage strength - 842 An employer must ensure that a rope system used for non industrial rope access work (a) limits the fall factor on a worker to 1.78, unless doing so exposes the worker to other greater hazards, (b) prevents the worker from striking a lower surface that could cause injury, unless doing SO exposes the worker to other greater hazards, and (c) minimizes the hazards of swinging and striking an object that could injure the worker. ## Fall factor, clearance, anchorage strength - 843(1) An employer must ensure that an anchor used for non industrial rope access work has an ultimate breaking strength of at least 16 kilonewtons per worker attached, in the direction in which the load may be applied. - 843(2) Despite subsection (1), if it is not practicable for the anchor to have the specified ultimate breaking strength, an anchor may be used that has an ultimate breaking strength per attached worker of 2 times the estimated maximum arresting force created by a fall in the direction of the rope pull, unless doing SO exposes the worker to other greater hazards. ## Head protection 844 Despite section 234, if there is a foreseeable danger of injury to a worker's head while performing non-industrial rope access work, an employer must ensure that a worker wears protective headwear that is appropriate to the hazards and meets the requirements of (a) CEN Standard EN [redacted postal code]: 2000, Mountaineering equipment - Helmets for mountaineers - Safety requirements and test methods, (b) UIAA Standard 106: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment - Helmets, or (c) ANSI Standard Z89.1-2003, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, for Type II h…

[2] Occupational Health and Safety Code (Alberta Regulation 191/2021)

Page 318

Open source document

Source excerpt

# General Requirements (cont.) ## Rope access safe work plan (cont.) Section 811 # OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE Part 41 AR 191/2021 ## Safe work practices 811 An employer must develop and implement safe work practices that include (a) the assessment of hazards at the work site in accordance with Part 2, (b) worker training, including hazard recognition and the selection, limitation, operation, inspection and maintenance of equipment and personal protective equipment, (c) the use of work positioning systems and fall protection systems, and (d) the rescue procedures to be used in case of equipment and personal protective equipment malfunction, a fall or injury that leaves a worker suspended and requiring rescue. ## Instruction of workers 812 An employer must ensure that a worker is trained in the rope access safe work plan, the safe work practices and the safe use of the rope access system before allowing the worker to work in an area where a rope access system is to be used. ## Tools and equipment - 813(1) An employer must ensure that equipment to be used by a worker during occupational rope access work activities is not suspended from the worker's working line or safety line. - 813(2) An employer must ensure that equipment weighing more than 8 kilograms and to be used by a worker during occupational rope access work activities is suspended from a separate line secured to a suitable anchorage. ## Equipment compatibility 814 An employer must ensure that all components of an occupational rope access system are compatible with one another and with the environment in which they are used. ## Inspection and maintenance 815 An employer must ensure that the components of an occupational rope access system are (a) inspected by the worker as required by the manufacturer before the system is used on each work shift, (b) kept free from substances and conditions that could contribute to their deterioration, and (c) re-certified as specified by the ma…

[3] Occupational Health and Safety Code (Alberta Regulation 191/2021)

Page 320

Open source document

Source excerpt

# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE (cont.) ## Removal from service (cont.) Section 821 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE Part 41 AR 191/2021 ## Worker rescue 821 An employer must ensure that a worker can be promptly rescued in case of equipment and personal protective equipment malfunction, fall or injury. ## Worker rescue 822 An employer must ensure that a worker is trained to perform self rescue on the equipment and personal protective equipment. ## Industrial Rope Access Work ## Safe work practices 823 An employer must ensure that one of the following safe work practices for industrial rope access work is followed: (a) International guidelines on the use of rope access methods for industrial purposes, July 2001, published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association; (b) Safe Practices for Rope Access Work, October 2003, published by the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians; (c) Industrial Rope Access Technique, ARAA Industry Code, September 2000, published by the Australian Rope Access Association. ## Safe work practices 824 If the requirements of section 823 conflict with requirements elsewhere in this Code, the requirements of this Code prevail. ## Safe work practices 825 An employer must ensure that at least 2 workers trained in industrial rope access work are present when rope access equipment and rope access personal protective equipment and techniques are used. ## Worker competency 826 An employer must ensure that the training required to comply with section 812 includes the applicable skills and practical experience hours described in (a) Clauses 15.3, 16.3 or 17.3 as appropriate, of General requirements for certification of personnel engaged in industrial rope access methods, 2005, published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association, (b) Clause 7 of Certification Requirements for Rope Access Work, January 2005, published by the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians, or (c) Appendix D of Industrial…

[4] Occupational Health and Safety Code (Alberta Regulation 191/2021)

Page 317

Open source document

Source excerpt

# Part 40 Utility Workers - Electrical (cont.) ## on energized electrical equipment or lines (above 750 volts) (cont.) Section 805 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE Part 41 AR 191/2021 # Part 41 Work Requiring Rope Access # General Requirements ## Exemptions 805 Workers involved in training for occupational rope access work or performing occupational rope access work may use equipment, personal protective equipment and practices other than those specified in Part 9. ## Exemptions 806 Workers involved in emergency rescue services or training for the purpose of emergency rescue may use equipment, personal protective equipment and practices other than those specified in this Part. ## Exemptions 807 This Part does not apply to workers using fall protection systems specified in Part 9. ## Rope access safe work plan - 808 An employer must develop an occupational rope access safe work plan for a work site if (a) a worker at the work site may fall 3 metres or more, or (b) there is an unusual possibility of injury if a worker falls less than 3 metres. ## Rope access safe work plan - 809 An occupational rope access safe work plan must specify the following: (a) the hazards associated with the work to be performed; (b) how the hazards will be eliminated or controlled; (c) the rope access system to be used at the work site; (d) the procedures used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use and disassemble the rope access system; (e) the members of the work team by name and their duties; (f) the appropriate personal protective equipment to be used; (g) an emergency response plan. ## Rope access safe work plan 810 An employer must ensure that an occupational rope access safe work plan is available at the work site before work with a risk of falling begins. 41-1

[5] Occupational Health and Safety Code (Alberta Regulation 191/2021)

Page 321

Open source document

Source excerpt

# OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE (cont.) ## Worker competency (cont.) Section 827 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CODE Part 41 AR 191/2021 ## Worker's personal logbook - 827(1) A worker performing industrial rope access work must have a personal logbook containing a record of the industrial rope access work performed by that worker. - 827(2) Records in the worker's personal logbook must be in chronological order and each entry must be verified and signed by the rope access supervisor or worksite manager. - 827(3) Each record of work must include (a) the date the work was performed, (b) the type of work performed, including the access method used, (c) the type of structure worked on, and (d) the hours worked using industrial rope access techniques. - 827(4) The worker must ensure that the personal logbook is current and available at the worksite for inspection by an officer. ## Maximum arrest force, clearance, anchor strength - 828 An employer must ensure that a rope access system used for industrial rope access work (a) limits the maximum arresting force on a worker to 6 kilonewtons, (b) prevents the worker from striking a lower surface that could cause injury, unless doing so exposes the worker to other greater hazards, and (c) minimizes the hazards of swinging and striking an object that could injure the worker. ## Maximum arrest force, clearance, anchor strength - 829(1) An employer must ensure that an anchor to which an industrial rope access system is attached has an ultimate breaking strength of at least 16 kilonewtons per worker attached, in the direction in which the load may be applied. - 829(2) Despite subsection (1), if it is not practicable for the anchor to have the specified ultimate breaking strength, an anchor may be used that has an ultimate breaking strength per attached worker of 2 times the estimated maximum arresting force created by a fall in the direction of the rope pull, unless doing so exposes the worker to o…

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