This material has been extracted from the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, SOR/86-304 to help students understand the subject. It is not an official source of information and must not be used for any other purpose.
It was obtained from the Canadian Legal Information Institute.
Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations SOR/86-304
Canada Labour Code
PART I
Interpretation
1.2 In these Regulations,
“ANSI” means the American National Standards Institute; (ANSI)
“CSA” means the Canadian Standards Association; (ACNOR)
“protection equipment” means safety materials, equipment, devices and clothing; (équipement de protection)
DIVISION I
BUILDINGS
Standards
Open-top Bins, Hoppers, Vats and Pits
2.6 (1) Where an employee has access to an open-top bin, hopper, vat, pit or other open-top enclosure from a point directly above the enclosure, the enclosure shall be
(a) covered with a grating, screen or other covering that will prevent the employee from falling into the enclosure; or
(b) provided with a walkway that is not less than 500 mm wide and is fitted with highly visible guardrails.
(2) The grating, screen, covering or walkway shall be designed, constructed and maintained so that it will support a load that is not less than the greater of
(a) the maximum load that may be brought to bear on it, and
(b) a live load of 6 kPa.
(3) Where an employee is working above an open-top bin, hopper, vat, pit or other open-top enclosure that is not covered with a grating, screen or other covering, the inside wall of the enclosure shall be fitted with a fixed ladder, except where the operations carried on in the enclosure make such a fitting impracticable.
(4) Every enclosure referred to in subsection (1) whose walls extend less than 1.1 m above an adjacent floor or platform used by employees shall be
(a) covered with a grating, screen or other covering;
(b) fitted with a highly visible guardrail; or
(c) guarded by a person in order to prevent employees from falling into the enclosure.
DIVISION II
TOWERS, ANTENNAS AND ANTENNA-SUPPORTING STRUCTURES
2.18 (1) No employee shall climb a tower, an antenna or an antenna-supporting structure unless
(a) the employer has authorized the employee to do so;
(b) the employee has been trained and instructed in a safe method of climbing; and
(c) the employer has provided a fall-protection system in accordance with section 12.10.
(2) No employee shall climb or work on a tower, an antenna or an antenna-supporting structure
(a) when weather conditions are likely to be hazardous to the health or safety of the employee, except when the work is required to remove a hazard or to rescue an employee; or
(b) if the physical condition of the tower, antenna or antenna-supporting structure is likely to be hazardous to the health or safety of the employee.
2.19 Where reasonably practicable, the design and construction of every tower, antenna and antenna-supporting structure the construction of which begins on or after the day of the coming into force of this section shall meet the requirements of CSA Standard CAN/CSA-S37-94, entitled Antennas, Towers, and Antenna-Supporting Structures, as amended from time to time.
PART XII
SAFETY MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT, DEVICES AND CLOTHING
Fall-Protection Systems
12.10 (1) Subject to subsection (1.1), every employer shall provide a fall-protection system to any person, other than an employee who is installing or removing a fall-protection system in accordance with the instructions referred to in subsection (5), who works
(a) from an unguarded structure or on a vehicle, at a height of more than 2.4 m above the nearest permanent safe level or above any moving parts of machinery or any other surface or thing that could cause injury to a person on contact;
(b) from a temporary structure at a height of more than 6 m above a permanent safe level; or
(c) from a ladder at a height of more than 2.4 m above the nearest permanent safe level where, because of the nature of the work, that person is unable to use at least one hand to hold onto the ladder.
(1.1) Where an employee is required to work on a vehicle on which it is not reasonably practicable to provide a fall-protection system, the employer shall
(a) in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative,
(i) perform a job safety analysis to eliminate or minimize the need for the employee to climb onto the vehicle or its load, and
(ii) provide every employee who is likely to climb onto the vehicle or its load with training and instruction on the safe method of climbing onto and working on the vehicle or its load;
(b) make a report in writing to the regional health and safety officer setting out the reasons why it is not reasonably practicable to provide a fall-protection system and include the job safety analysis and a description of the training and instruction referred to in paragraph (a); and
(c) provide a copy of the report referred to in paragraph (b) to the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative.
(1.2) The job safety analysis, training and instruction referred to in paragraph (1.1)(a) shall be reviewed every two years in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative.
(2) The components of a fall-protection system shall meet the following standards:
(a) CSA Standard Z259.1-1976, Fall-Arresting Safety Belts and Lanyards for the Construction and Mining Industries, the English version of which is dated November, 1976, as amended to May, 1979 and the French version of which is dated April, 1980;
(b) CSA Standard Z259.2-M1979, Fall-Arresting Devices, Personnel Lowering Devices and Life Lines, the English version of which is dated November, 1979 and the French version of which is dated October, 1983; and
(c) CSA Standard Z259.3-M1978, Lineman’s Body Belt and Lineman’s Safety Strap, the English version of which is dated September, 1978, as amended to April, 1981 and the French version of which is dated April, 1980, as amended to April, 1981.
(3) The anchor of a fall-protection system shall be capable of withstanding a force of 17.8 kN.
(4) A fall-protection system that is used to arrest the fall of a person shall prevent that person
(a) from being subjected to a peak fall arrest force greater than 8 kN; and
(b) from falling freely for more than 1.2 m.
(5) Where an employee is about to install or remove a fall-protection system, the employer shall
(a) prepare written instructions for the safe installation or removal of the fall-protection system; and
(b) keep a copy of the instructions readily available for the information of the employee.
