49(1) The employer shall provide and the employee shall continually use a fall-protection system when an employee works from
(a) an unguarded work area that is
(i) 3 m or more above water or the nearest permanent safe level,
(ii) above any surface or object that could cause injury to the employee upon contact, or
(iii) above any open top tank, bin, hopper or vat,
(b) a work area that is 3 m or more above a permanent safe level and from which a person may fall if the work area tips or fails, or
(c) a work area where an officer has determined that it is necessary for safety reasons to use a fall protection system.
49(2) If an employee is required to work from a communication or power transmission tower or other similar structure 3 m or more above a permanent safe level, the employer shall provide and the employee shall continually use a fall-protection system when at rest and at the working level.
49(3) If an employee referred to in subsection (2) is ascending or descending a communication or power transmission tower or other similar structure, the employer shall provide and the employee shall continually use a fall-arresting system.
49(4) If an employee is required to work from a wood pole or other similar wood pole structure 3 m or more above a permanent safe level, the employer shall provide and the employee shall continually use
(a) a fall-arresting system when the employee is ascending, descending or at rest, and
(b) a work positioning system in addition to the fall arresting system when the employee is performing work at the working level.
49(5) If it is not practical to use a fall-arresting system and a work positioning system, the employer shall provide and the employee referred to in subsection (4) shall continually use a fall restricting system when ascending or descending and to secure themselves to the wood pole when at rest or at the working level.
49(6) This section does not apply to the following situations:
(a) if the employee will at all times remain further than 3 m from the unguarded edge of a surface with a slope of 3 in 12 or less;
(b) where a firefighter is engaged in structural firefighting;
(c) if an employee is engaged in the installation, maintenance or removal of a fall-protection system and another form of fall-protection is not practical, provided the employee has been fully instructed in work procedures and hazards and in how to protect themselves from falling; or
(d) if it is not practical to use a fall-protection system where an employee is engaged in the weatherproofing of a roof that has a total area of less than 23 m2 or of a roof of a canopy or walkway that have slopes of 3 in 12 or less, provided the employee has been fully instructed in work procedures and hazards and in how to protect themselves from falling.
(a) have a height of not less than 900 mm or more than 1.07 m from the floor level, (b) have a toeboard which
(i) is at least 127 mm high,
(ii) is fastened to the inside of the vertical supporting posts, and
(iii) has a space of not more than 6 mm between the bottom of the toeboard and the floor,
(c) have vertical supporting posts not more than 2.4 m apart along its entire length unless otherwise specified in manufacturer’s specifications, and
(d) have vertical supporting posts not more than 3 m apart along its entire length if the guardrail is used on scaffolding.
97(3) The vertical supporting posts referred to in paragraphs 2(c) and (d) shall be adequately fastened to the structure to support the loads imposed upon it.
97(4) Unless the guardrail is a pre-engineered guardrail, the top rail shall be fastened to the top or inside of the vertical supporting posts and the intermediate rail shall be fastened to the inside of the vertical supporting posts midway between the top rail and the floor level.
97(5) A guardrail shall be made of materials with sufficient strength and rigidity to support loads with the following minimums:
(a) 675 N in any direction, at any point along the top rail;
(b) 450 N in any direction, at any point along the intermediate rail; and
(c) 900 N in any direction, at any point along the top rail, intermediate rail and toeboard if the guardrail is used on a surface that is sloped more than 3 in 12 and less than 6 in 12.
49.2(1) An owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure that any fall arresting system consists of the following:
(a) a full body harness that is designed and rated by the manufacturer for the employee’s body type and adjusted to fit the employee;
(b) a self-retracting lanyard, an energy absorbing lanyard or a lanyard and energy absorber that is rated by the manufacturer for the employee;
(c) unless it is a horizontal life line, an anchor point that is capable of withstanding a 22 kN force or, if used under the direction of a competent person, four times the maximum load that may be generated in the fall-arresting system.
49.2(2) An owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure that a fallarresting system limits
(a) free falls to the shortest distance possible, which distance cannot exceed 1.8 m or a shock level on the body of 8 kN, and
(b) the total fall distance to an amount less than the distance from the work area to any safe level, water or obstruction below.
49.2(3) Despite subsection (2), if using an energy absorber is hazardous or not practical, the fall-arresting system shall
(a) not include an energy absorber,
(b) not use lanyards made of wire rope or other inelastic material, and
(c) limit free falls to 1.2 m.
49.2(4) Before any use of a fall-arresting system by an employee, an owner of a place of employment, an employer or a contractor shall develop a procedure to be used for rescuing an employee in an emergency.
49.2(5) An owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure that an employee is trained to use the procedures referred to in subsection (4) for rescuing another employee in an emergency.
49.2(6) If a fall-arresting system arrests a fall, an owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure that all components, including connecting components of a fall-arresting system are
(a) removed from service and inspected by a competent person,
(b) repaired to the designer’s or manufacturer’s specifications, or
(c) destroyed when a defect is observed. 2010-159; 2022-27
49.5(2) When a horizontal life line system which is engineered to meet CSA standard Z259.16-04, “Design of Active Fall-Protection Systems” is used, an owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure
(a) signed and dated drawings and instructions for the life line are readily available at the place of employment, and
(b) that the system has been installed in accordance with the design documents.
49.5(3) The drawings and instructions referred to in paragraph (2)(a) shall contain the following information:
(a) the layout in plan and elevation, including anchor point locations, strengths, installation specifications, anchor point design and detailing; and
(b) the specification of the horizontal life line system, including permissible free fall, the maximum arrest force, clearance to obstructions below, cable size, breaking strength, termination details, initial sag or tension, number of permitted employees, and inspection requirements.
49.6 An owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure that a competent person installs a pre-engineered horizontal life line system in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications. 2010-159
49.7(1) When a horizontal life line system is used which is neither designed nor certified by an engineer and is not a pre-engineered system, an owner of a place of employment, an employer and a contractor shall each ensure it meets the following requirements:
(a) the wire rope must have a diameter of a minimum of 13 mm with a breaking strength specified by the manufacturer of at least 89 kN;
(b) connecting hardware such as shackles and turnbuckles must have an ultimate load capacity of at least 71 kN;
(c) end anchor points shall have a load capacity of at least 71 kN;
(d) the horizontal life line must be free of splices except at the termination;
(e) the span of the horizontal life line must be at least 6 m and not more than 18 m;
(f) the horizontal life line must have an unloaded sag no greater than 1 in 60;
(g) limit free falls to 1.2 m; and
(h) a minimum of 5.5 m of unobstructed clearance must be available below the horizontal life line.
49.7(2) When a horizontal life line system referred to in subsection (1) is used, no more than three employees may be secured to the horizontal life line and the horizontal life line must be positioned so it does not impede the safe movement of employees.