Toolbox talk fall prevention

Source excerpt

## Part 9 Fall Protection ## Rescue personnel exemption 138 Rescue personnel involved in training or in providing emergency rescue services may use equipment, personal protective equipment and practices other than those specified in this Part. ## General protection 139 (1) An employer and a supervisor must ensure that a worker is protected from falling if a worker may fall, - (a) at a temporary or permanent work area, a vertical distance of 3 metres or more, - (b) at a temporary or permanent work area, a vertical distance of less than 3 metres if there is an unusual possibility of injury, - (c) at a temporary or permanent work area, into or onto a hazardous substance or object, or through an opening in a work surface, or - (d) at a permanent work area, a vertical distance of more than 1.2 metres and less than 3 metres. 139 (2) For the purposes of this section, there is an unusual possibility of injury if the injury may be worse than an injury from landing on a solid, flat surface. 139 (3) Subject to subsection (5), an employer must install a guardrail. 139 (4) Repealed. 139 (5) Subject to subsection (6), if the use of a guardrail is not reasonably practicable, an employer and a supervisor must ensure that a worker uses a travel restraint system that meets the requirements of this Part. 139 (6) Subject to subsection (7), if the use of a travel restraint system is not reasonably practicable, an employer and a supervisor must ensure that a worker uses a personal fall arrest system that meets the requirements of this Part. 139 (7) If the use of a personal fall arrest system is not reasonably practicable, an employer and a supervisor must ensure that a worker uses equally effective controls. 139 (8) A worker must use a fall protection system as required by this section. ## Fall protection plan 140 (1) An employer must develop procedures that comply with this Part in a fall protection plan for a work site if a worker at the work site may fall 3 metres or mor…

Source excerpt

## 29 CFR 1926 (OSHA) from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system. If a guardrail system is chosen to provide the fall protection, and a controlled access zone has already been established for leading edge work, the control line may be used in lieu of a guardrail along the edge that parallels the leading edge. - (3) Hoist areas. Each employee in a hoist area shall be protected from falling 6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levels by guardrail systems or personal fall arrest systems. If guardrail systems, [or chain, gate, or guardrail] or portions thereof, are removed to facilitate the hoisting operation (e.g., during landing of materials), and an employee must lean through the access opening or out over the edge of the access opening (to receive or guide equipment and materials, for example), that employee shall be protected from fall hazards by a personal fall arrest system. - (4) Holes. (i) Each employee on walking/working surfaces shall be protected from falling through holes (including skylights) more than 6 feet (1.8 m) above lower levels, by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around such holes. - (ii) Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from tripping in or stepping into or through holes (including skylights) by covers. - (iii) Each employee on a walking/working surface shall be protected from objects falling through holes (including skylights) by covers. - (5) Formwork and reinforcing steel. Each employee on the face of formwork or reinforcing steel shall be protected from falling 6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levels by personal fall arrest systems, safety net systems, or positioning device systems. - (6) Ramps, runways, and other walkways. Each employee on ramps, runways, and other walkways shall be protected from falling 6 feet (1.8 m) or more to lower levels by guardrail systems. - (7) Excavations. (i) Each employee at the edge of an excavation 6 feet (1.8 …

Source excerpt

［ ## SECURELY BLOCK THE MACHINE OR ANY COMPONENT THAT MAY FALL To prevent serious injury or death, always support all the attachment /equipment when performing maintenance or inspecting underneath the machine or any raised attachment /equipment. - · Before performing maintenance or repairs under the machine, park the machine on firm level ground, lower the attachment to the ground, pull the control lock lever and remove the key. - · Securely block the tracks. - · If you must work beneath the raised machine or equipment, always use wood blocks, jack-stands or other rigid and stable supports. Never get under the machine, the attachment /equipment, if they are not sufficiently supported. - This procedure is especially important when working on hydraulic cylinders. <!-- image --> ## LOCK THE ACCESS PANEL To prevent serious injury, always secure the opened door panel with the stay(1) when maintaining the machine. If the door panel is not secure, it could move and you may be injured. ## PREVENT FALLS - · Clean all slippery substances such as grease, oil, hydraulic oil, mud, ice, and others attached to the steps, handrails, crawlers, ladders, and platforms. - · Inspect appearances and mounting portions of the steps, handrails, ladders, and platforms. Replace any damaged parts and tighten any loose bolts or nuts. - · Use the proper personal protective equipment, such as a body harness, if needed. - · Use extreme caution when walking on elevated surfaces to avoid slipping. - · Always use the steps, handrails, ladders and platforms to access locations above the ground level. - · Always face the machine and maintain three points of contact with the steps and handrails. - · Do not use control lock lever or control levers as hand hold. - · Do not have anything in your hands, including tools, when getting on and off the machine. - · Never jump on and off the machine, or attempt to get on and off a moving machine. - · Clean all spills, and store or secure tools in a strong…

Source excerpt

## 29 CFR 1926 (OSHA) Deceleration distance means the additional vertical distance a falling employee travels, excluding lifeline elongation and free fall distance, before stopping, from the point at which the deceleration device begins to operate. It is measured as the distance between the location of an employee's body belt or body harness attachment point at the moment of activation (at the onset of fall arrest forces) of the deceleration device during a fall, and the location of that attachment point after the employee comes to a full stop. Equivalent means alternative designs, materials, or methods to protect against a hazard which the employer can demonstrate will provide an equal or greater degree of safety for employees than the methods, materials or designs specified in the standard. Failure means load refusal, breakage, or separation of component parts. Load refusal is the point where the ultimate strength is exceeded. Free fall means the act of falling before a personal fall arrest system begins to apply force to arrest the fall. Free fall distance means the vertical displacement of the fall arrest attachment point on the employee's body belt or body harness between onset of the fall and just before the system begins to apply force to arrest the fall. This distance excludes deceleration distance, and lifeline/lanyard elongation, but includes any deceleration device slide distance or self-retracting lifeline/lanyard extension before they operate and fall arrest forces occur. Guardrail system means a barrier erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels. Hole means a gap or void 2 inches (5.1 cm) or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface. Infeasible means that it is impossible to perform the construction work using a conventional fall protection system (i.e., guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system) or that it is technologically impossible to use any one of these system…

Source excerpt

## 29 CFR 1926 (OSHA) Toeboard means a low protective barrier that will prevent the fall of materials and equipment to lower levels and provide protection from falls for personnel. Unprotected sides and edges means any side or edge (except at entrances to points of access) of a walking/working surface, e.g., floor, roof, ramp, or runway where there is no wall or guardrail system at least 39 inches (1.0 m) high. Walking/working surface means any surface, whether horizontal or vertical on which an employee walks or works, including, but not limited to, floors, roofs, ramps, bridges, runways, formwork and concrete reinforcing steel but not including ladders, vehicles, or trailers, on which employees must be located in order to perform their job duties. Warning line system means a barrier erected on a roof to warn employees that they are approaching an unprotected roof side or edge, and which designates an area in which roofing work may take place without the use of guardrail, body belt, or safety net systems to protect employees in the area. Work area means that portion of a walking/working surface where job duties are being performed. [59 FR [redacted postal code], Aug. 9, 1994, as amended at 60 FR [redacted postal code], Aug. 2, 1995; 66 FR 5265, Jan. 18, 2001; 75 FR [redacted postal code], Aug. 9, 2010; 79 FR [redacted postal code], Apr. 11, 2014] ## §1926.501 Duty to have fall protection. - (a) General. (1) This section sets forth requirements for employers to provide fall protection systems. All fall protection required by this section shall conform to the criteria set forth in §1926.502 of this subpart. - (2) The employer shall determine if the walking/working surfaces on which its employees are to work have the strength and structural integrity to support employees safely. Employees shall be allowed to work on those surfaces only when the surfaces have the requisite strength and structural integrity. - (b)(1) Unprotected sides and edges. Each employee …

Source excerpt

## Full body harness - 142 (1) An employer must ensure that - (a) a full body harness manufactured on or after March 31, 2023 is approved to - (i) CSA Standard Z259.10-18, Full body harnesses , - (ii) ANSI/ASSE Standard Z359.1-2007, Safety requirements for personal fall arrest systems, subsystems and components , or - (iii) CEN Standard EN 361:2007, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height - Full body harnesses , ## and - (b) a worker using a personal fall arrest system wears and uses a full body harness. - 142 (2) A worker using a personal fall arrest system must wear and use a full body harness. AR 191/2021 s142;242/2022 ## Body belt - 142.1 An employer must ensure that - (a) a body belt manufactured on or after July 1, 2009 is approved to - (i) CSA Standard Z259.1-05, Body belts and saddles for work positioning and travel restraint , - (ii) ANSI/ASSE Standard A10.32-2004, Fall Protection Systems - American National Standard for Construction and Demolition Operations , or - (iii) CEN Standard EN 358: 2000, Personal protective equipment for work positioning and prevention of falls from a height - Belts for work positioning and restraint and work positioning lanyards , and - (b) a worker uses a body belt only as part of a travel restraint system or as part of a fall restrict system. ## Lanyard 142.2 (1) An employer must ensure that a lanyard manufactured on or after March 31, 2023 is approved to - (a) CSA Standard Z259.11-17, Personal energy absorbers and lanyards , - (b) ANSI/ASSE Standard Z359.1-2007, Safety requirements for personal fall arrest systems, subsystems and components , or - (c) CEN Standard EN 354:2002, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height Lanyards . 142.2 (2) An employer must ensure that a lanyard used by a worker is made of wire rope or other material appropriate to the hazard if a tool or corrosive agent that could sever, abrade or burn a lanyard is used in the work area.

Source excerpt

## 29 CFR 1926 (OSHA) walking/working surface, shall be protected from falling by the use of a guardrail system, a safety net system, or a personal fall arrest system. - (15) Walking/working surfaces not otherwise addressed. Except as provided in §1926.500(a)(2) or in §1926.501 (b)(1) through (b)(14), each employee on a walking/working surface 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by a guardrail system, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system. - (c) Protection from falling objects. When an employee is exposed to falling objects, the employer shall have each employee wear a hard hat and shall implement one of the following measures: - (1) Erect toeboards, screens, or guardrail systems to prevent objects from falling from higher levels; or, - (2) Erect a canopy structure and keep potential fall objects far enough from the edge of the higher level so that those objects would not go over the edge if they were accidentally displaced; or, - (3) Barricade the area to which objects could fall, prohibit employees from entering the barricaded area, and keep objects that may fall far enough away from the edge of a higher level so that those objects would not go over the edge if they were accidentally displaced.

Source excerpt

- (b) guardrails and toe boards. - 314 (2) If a person removes a cover, guardrail or toe board, or any part thereof, protecting an opening or hole for any reason, an employer must ensure a temporary cover or other means of protection replaces it immediately. - 314 (3) If a temporary cover is used to protect an opening or hole, an employer must ensure a warning sign or marking clearly indicating the nature of the hazard - (a) is posted near or fixed on the cover, and - (b) is not removed unless another effective means of protection is immediately provided. ## Guardrails - 315 (1) An employer must ensure that a guardrail required by this Code - (a) has a horizontal top member installed between 920 millimetres and 1070 millimetres above the base of the guardrail, - (b) has a horizontal, intermediate member spaced mid-way between the top member and the base, - (c) has vertical members at both ends of the horizontal members with intermediate vertical supports that are not more than 3 metres apart at their centres, and - (d) is constructed of lumber that is 38 millimetres by 89 millimetres or of material with properties the same as or better than those of lumber. - 315 (2) Despite subsection (1), a temporary guardrail does not require a horizontal intermediate member if it has a substantial barrier positioned within the space bounded by the horizontal top member, toe board and vertical members that prevents a worker from falling through the space. - 315 (3) An employer must ensure that a guardrail is secured so that it cannot move in any direction if it is struck or if any point on it comes into contact with a worker, materials or equipment. ## Hoppers, bins and chutes - 316 If a worker can access materials in hoppers, bins or chutes, an employer must ensure the hoppers, bins or chutes have horizontal bars, screens or equally effective safeguards that prevent a worker from falling into the hoppers, bins or chutes. ## Machine failure - 317 If a worker may be injured …

Source excerpt

<!-- image --> ## CODE OF SAFE PRACTICES FOR ADJUSTABLE SUSPENDED SCAFFOLDS It shall be the responsibility of all users to read and comply with the following common-sense guidelines which are designed to promote safety in the erecting, dismantling, and use of adjustable suspended scaffolds. These guidelines do not purport to be all-inclusive nor to supplant or replace other additional safety and precautionary measures. If these guidelines conflict with any local, provincial, state, federal or other government regulations, the regulations shall supersede these guidelines and it shall be the responsibility of each user to comply therewith. ## I. GENERAL GUIDELINES - A. POST THESE SAFE PRACTICES in a conspicuous place. Be sure that all persons who erect, use, relocate or dismantle adjustable suspended scaffold systems are fully aware of them. Use them in toolbox safety meetings. - B. FOLLOW ALL EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER'S RECOMMENDATIONS as well as all local, provincial, state , and federal codes, ordinances, and regulations relating to adjustable suspended scaffold systems. - C. SURVEY THE JOB SITE. A competent person shall survey the job site for hazards such as exposed electrical wires, obstructions, and unguarded roof edges or openings. - D. INSPECT ALL EQUIPMENT BEFORE USE. Never use any equipment that is damaged or defective in any way. Mark it or tag it as damaged or defective and remove it from the job site. - E. ERECT AND DISMANTLE ADJUSTABLE SUSPENDED SCAFFOLD EQUIPMENT in accordance with the design and/or manufacturer's recommendations. - F. DO NOT ERECT, DISMANTLE OR ALTER ADJUSTABLE SUSPENDED SCAFFOLD SYSTEMS except under the supervision of a competent person. - G. DO NOT ABUSE OR MISUSE ADJUSTABLE SUSPENDED SCAFFOLD EQUIPMENT. Never overload any equipment. - H. ERECTED ADJUSTABLE SUSPENDED SCAFFOLDS ARE TO BE INSPECTED REGULARLY by the user to be sure that they are maintained in a safe condition. Stop work and report any unsafe conditions to your supervi…

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…

Source excerpt

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ - (7) Rescue considerations. As required by WAC 296-24-[redacted postal code] (5)(h) when personal fall arrest systems are used, the employer must assure that employees can be promptly rescued or can rescue themselves should a fall occur. The availability of rescue personnel, ladders or other rescue equipment should be evaluated. In some situations, equipment which allows employees to rescue themselves after the fall has been arrested may be desirable, such as devices which have descent capability. ## (8) Tie-off considerations. - (a) One of the most important aspects of personal fall protection systems is fully planning the system before it is put into use. Probably the most overlooked component is planning for suitable anchorage points. Such planning should ideally be done before the structure or building is constructed so that anchorage points can be incorporated during construction for use later for window cleaning or other building maintenance. If properly planned, these anchorage points may be used during construction, as well as afterwards. - (b) Employers and employees should at all times be aware that the strength of a personal fall arrest system is based on its being attached to an anchoring system which does not significantly reduce the strength of the system (such as a properly dimensioned eye-bolt/snap-hook anchorage). Therefore, if a means of attachment is used that will reduce the strength of the system, that component should be replaced by a stronger one, but one that will also maintain the appropriate maximum arrest force characteristics. - (c) Tie-off using a knot in a rope lanyard or lifeline (at any location) can reduce the lifeline or lanyard strength by 50% or more. Therefore, a stronger lanyard or lifeline should be used to com…