Write a toolbox talk on working at heights

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# Definitions - Fall Protection (cont.) Shock Absorbers: a component of a fall protection system that dissipates energy by creating or extending the deceleration distance. Shock Absorbing Lanyard: a flexible line of webbing, cable or rope used to secure a body belt or harness to a lifeline or anchorage point that has an integral shock absorber. Single-Action Snap Hook a connecting snap hook that requires a single force to open the gate which automatically closes when released. Snaphook means a connector comprised of a hook-shaped member with a normally closed keeper, or similar arrangement, which may be opened to permit the hook to receive an object and, when released, automatically closes to retain the object. Snaphooks are generally one of two types: (1) The locking type with a self-closing, self-locking keeper which remains closed and locked until unlocked and pressed open for connection or disconnection; or (2) The non-locking type with a self-closing keeper which remains closed until pressed open for connection or disconnection. As of January 11 1998, the use of a non-locking snaphook as part of personal fall arrest systems and positioning device systems is prohibited. Steep roof means a roof having a slope greater than 4 in 12 (vertical to horizontal). Suspended Scaffold: a single point or multiple point work platform used for powered or unpowered access up and or down the side of a structure. Swing Fall: a pendulum-like motion that can result from moving horizontally away from a fixed anchorage and falling. Swing falls generate the same amount of energy as a fall through the same distance vertically but with the additional hazard of colliding with an obstruction or the ground. Tie-off: the act of a worker securing the end of a lanyard to an anchorage point. Note: The terms tied off, tying off (tieing off) are related to tie-off. An anchorage point is sometimes referred to as a tie-off point. Toeboard means a low protective barrier that will prevent…

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# FALL PROTECTION Date Posted: 09/15/2016 ## FALL PROTECTION Falls are the most frequent cause of fatalities in construction and annually account for one of every three construction-related deaths. Fall protection trigger heights will vary depending on the task being performed. The "trigger height" is the minimum height at which fall protection is required. Know the trigger heights for your work and use fall protection as required. ## FALL PROTECTION REQUIRED REGARDLESS OF HEIGHT WAC 296-155-[redacted postal code] - Open sided floors, walkways, platforms, or runways above or adjacent to dangerous equipment. • Floor holes or floor openings into which persons can accidentally walk. • Falls into or onto impalement hazards, such as reinforcing steel (rebar), or exposed steel or wood stakes used to set forms. • Working from boom supported elevated work platforms. WAC 296-869-[redacted postal code] • Working in confined spaces. WAC 296-809-[redacted postal code] ## FALL PROTECTION AT FOUR FEET OR MORE WAC 296-155-[redacted postal code] • When employees are exposed to fall hazards of four feet or more to the ground or lower level when on a walking/working surface. • Walking/working surface is any area whose dimensions are 45 inches or greater in all directions, through which workers pass or conduct work. • When employees are using stilts • Where employees are working on platforms above the protection of a guardrail system, • While placing or tying reinforcing steel on a vertical face. • While working on a roof with a pitch greater than four in twelve (4:12) • While engaged in work, other than roofing work or leading edge work, on low pitched roofs • While working on a hazardous slope ## FALL PROTECTION AT TEN FEET OR MORE WAC 296-155-[redacted postal code] • Engaged in roofing work on a low pitched roof (4:12 or less) • Constructing a leading edge. • Working on any surface that does not meet the definition of a walking/working surface • Engaged …

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Safety & Health Fact Sheet STATE OF CALIFORNIA CAL OSHA DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS Cal/OSHA Publications Unit Division of Occupational Safety and Health # Fall Protection in Construction Falls are among the most common reasons for workplace injuries and fatalities in California. Falls generally occur when employees are working at an elevated height and are not adequately protected. Some examples include employees working on elevated work surfaces, ladders, stairs, scaffolds, aerial devices, roofs, bridges, trusses, beams, purlins, plates, suspended staging, catwalks and walkways. Falls in construction frequently involve slippery, cluttered, or unstable walking/working surfaces, unprotected edges, floor holes or wall openings, unsafely positioned ladders, and misuse of fall protection devices. ## Key Cal/OSHA Requirements Title 8 of California Code of Regulations (T8 CCR) specifies many requirements for fall protection in construction. Below are selected regulations that contain fall protection requirements. Refer to T8 CCR for the complete set of requirements. ## Selected T8 CCR Sections <table><tr><th>1541</th><th>Fall protection in excavation work</th></tr><tr><td>1610.7</td><td>Fall protection in cranes and derricks in construction</td></tr><tr><td>1620</td><td>Design and construction of guard rails</td></tr><tr><td>1669</td><td>General fall protection</td></tr><tr><td>1670</td><td>Personal fall arrest systems, personal fall restraint systems and positioning devices</td></tr><tr><td>1671</td><td>Safety nets</td></tr><tr><td>1671.1</td><td>Fall protection plan</td></tr><tr><td>1671.2</td><td>Controlled access zones and safety monitoring systems</td></tr><tr><td>1710</td><td>Fall protection for erection of steel structures</td></tr><tr><td>1711</td><td>Fall protection for reinforcing steel operations in concrete construction</td></tr><tr><td>1712</td><td>Fall protection for impalement hazards</td></tr><tr><td>1716.1</td><td>Fall protection in str…

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CCOHS CCHST Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail Fall Protection # Fall Protection - Working at Heights Rescue Plan ## On this page What is a working at heights rescue plan? Why are rescue plans important when working at heights? What elements should a rescue plan include? What should be included in a working at heights rescue plan? What personal protective equipment (PPE) do rescuers need to use? How are hazards identified and risks assessed for a rescue at heights? What methods and equipment can be used in a working at heights rescue? What are some important considerations for the anchor system? How will the rescue team communicate during an emergency? What kind of training does the rescue team need? What post-incident procedures should be followed after a rescue? ## What is a working at heights rescue plan? A working at heights rescue plan refers to written emergency response procedures for quickly retrieving and providing help to a worker who has fallen while working at heights. A rescue may be needed when a worker falls or needs rescue for other reasons (including medical emergencies or mechanical failures) and is located at an elevated position, such as being suspended by a fall arrest harness. Recuse may also be required while the worker is on a roof, crane, elevated platform, lifting device, or other areas. While a fall protection plan is intended to help prevent falls, it is important to include a rescue plan in case of an emergency. Why are rescue plans important when working at heights? Fall Protection - Working at Heights Rescue Plan CCOHS

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CCOHS CCHST Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety + Centre canadien d'hygiène et de sécurité au travail Fall Protection # Fall Protection - Travel Restraint System ## On this page When do you use a travel restraint system? What is included in a travel restraint system? What should be done before using a travel restraint system? What should be done when using a travel restraint system? ## When do you use a travel restraint system? When the fall hazard or working at heights cannot be eliminated, and you cannot use a guardrail or opening cover to protect against a fall, then one option is to use a travel restraint system. A travel restraint system restricts the worker's movements in the fall hazard area by allowing them to reach the edge, but they are not able to fall over the edge. Travel restraint is used for leading edge work where there is an unprotected end of formwork, floors, roofs, decks or other walking or working surfaces. Using a travel restraint system is part of a fall protection program. Please also see the following OSH Answers for more information: - Fall Protection - Fall Protection Plan (General) - Body belts, harnesses and lanyards ## What is included in a travel restraint system? A travel restraint system consists of (equipment or item must be CSA approved, where required): - Full body harness (class A) - Lanyard (fixed length or adjustable) - Lifeline - Rope grab to attach the lanyard to the lifeline Fall Protection - Travel Restraint System CCOHS

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# Fall Protection - Working at Heights Rescue Plan (cont.) ## What is a working at heights rescue plan? (cont.) Relying only on calling for local emergency services after an incident as a rescue plan is not appropriate. Workers who fall and become suspended in their fall arrest harness need to be rescued immediately. Suspension trauma (also referred to as orthostatic intolerance) involves blood pooling in the lower body, reducing the amount of oxygen available to the brain and other vital organs. It occurs when a worker hangs in the harness for too long. The harness may create pressure, preventing the blood from circulating, or the worker may be in shock, unconscious, or otherwise not able to move their legs, causing blood to pool in their lower limbs. This trauma can occur in minutes and can cause serious health effects such as damage to the brain, kidneys or other organs. Death may occur in less than 30 minutes. The worker may have sustained an injury from the fall or be unconscious and be unable to rescue themselves or assist the rescuers. A rescue may be needed if a worker experiences a medical emergency while working at heights, such as heat stroke, fainting, and cardiovascular or respiratory distress, and is unable to get down on their own or requires immediate medical assistance. The plan must also consider that the conditions or hazards that caused the fall may also be a risk to other workers, including the rescuers. ## What elements should a rescue plan include? Before a specific task begins, make sure that the plan covers any possible scenarios experienced at the specific worksite. Adjust and modify the rescue plan as needed. A rescue plan should include the following details: - Be written, reviewed and posted before work begins - Identify who will conduct the rescue and their roles and responsibilities - Include procedures for identifying, assessing, and controlling hazards - Outline training requirements for both rescue personnel and work…

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# Fall Protection - Working at Heights Rescue Plan (cont.) ## How are hazards identified and risks assessed for a rescue at heights? (cont.) Before starting a task involving working at heights, all workers (including rescuers) should immediately report any concerns to the supervisor. If conditions or factors are a risk to workers or may impact a rescue, this concern needs to be addressed before the work begins. If rescuers have any concerns with their training or the rescue plan, they also need to report this to their supervisor so it can be addressed. Equipment used by workers and rescuers must be properly inspected and maintained, including before use. Any defective equipment must be replaced. Once all the hazards are identified and the risks are assessed, appropriate control measures need to be taken. The hierarchy of controls should be considered. It is important to continuously review and improve control measures to ensure their effectiveness. ## What methods and equipment can be used in a working at heights rescue? The rescue techniques and equipment must be specific for the working at heights task, including the hazards, where and how the rescue may occur, and other factors. When determining the appropriate rescue procedures, consult with experts on rescue at heights and ensure all rescuers have thorough training and experience with the selected methods. You can also reach out to your local fire department for guidance. Methods may include self-rescue, ladder rescue, elevating work platform rescue, using the lifeline to retrieve the worker, rescuers rappelling down to retrieve the worker, pulling a worker from an area below, using emergency equipment to reach the worker such as a crane basket or rope rescue. Methods must be suitable for the location. For example, planning on using a mechanical lift may not be appropriate when working where the ground is uneven (such as a forest) or where other materials may obstruct access to the worker's location. A…

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# Are guardrails and handrails the same thing? While guardrails often also have handrails, they are not the same thing. Handrails serve as a handhold people use to support themselves while using up or down stairs, ramps, or crossing flat surfaces. Guardrails are designed to prevent falls over an unprotected edge or into an opening. ## When do you use guardrails? Install a guardrail if the fall hazard or working at heights cannot be eliminated. Guardrails should be used when a worker could have access to the unprotected edge of any of the following work surfaces and is exposed to a fall from a height or between levels. If an employee can fall into or onto dangerous equipment such as a conveyor belt, it is also good practice to prevent such falls by installing guardrails and toe boards. Make sure the guardrail is installed around the edge or opening before work begins. Installing a guardrail is good practice: - around a balcony or mezzanine - at the edges of catwalks or overhead conveyor platforms - along the bridges - around scaffolds, raised platforms, or open platforms on aerial devices - at the edges of roofs where work may be performed - along the open edges of elevated working areas such as the upper floors of building under construction or being repaired - around work elevated work surfaces including platforms, scaffolds, runways, or ramps - around openings in floors, roofs, and in working surfaces where the openings are not covered or protected - open edges of slab formwork for floors and roofs - any where workers could fall into water, operating machinery, or hazardous substances. In most jurisdictions, use of a guardrail is specified for certain circumstances. Always check with your jurisdiction for exact requirements. What are the main types of guardrails? Fall Protection - Guardrails CCOHS