What is the fall

To protect workers from falls, employers must ensure that workers are protected from falling [1] if they may fall:

• At a temporary or permanent work area, a vertical distance of 3 meters or more [1]
• At a temporary or permanent work area, a vertical distance of less than 3 meters if there is an unusual possibility of injury [1]
• At a temporary or permanent work area, into or onto a hazardous substance or object, or through an opening in a work surface [1]
• At a permanent work area, a vertical distance of more than 1.2 meters and less than 3 meters [1]

If a fall hazard zone system has been established in a work place, the employer must ensure that every person who is granted access to the work place is informed of the fall hazard zone system's existence and is familiar with the procedures to be followed for accessing, performing work in and leaving the fall hazard zone [2].

If there is a risk of injury due to falling in a work place and the fall-protection plan requires that a personal fall-protection system be used, the employer must provide such a system to every person who is granted access to the work place [2].

An employer must develop procedures that comply with Part 9 in a fall protection plan for a work site if a worker at the work site may fall 3 metres or more and the worker is not protected by guardrails [1].

The fall protection plan must specify [1]:

• The fall hazards at the work site [1]
• The fall protection system to be used at the work site [1]
• The anchors to be used during the work [1]
• 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 [1]
• The procedures used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use and disassemble the fall protection system, where applicable [1]
• 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 [1]

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 [1].

The employer must ensure that the plan is updated when conditions affecting fall protection change [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 [3].

The training must include [3]:

• A review of current legislation pertaining to fall protection [3]
• An understanding of what a fall protection plan is [3]
• Fall protection methods a worker is required to use at a work site [3]
• Identification of fall hazards [3]
• Assessment and selection of specific anchors that the worker may use [3]
• Instructions for the correct use of connecting hardware [3]
• Information about the effect of a fall on the human body, including maximum arresting force, the purpose of shock and energy absorbers, swing fall, and free fall [3]
• Pre-use inspection [3]
• Emergency response procedures to be used at the work site, if necessary [3]
• Practice in inspecting, fitting, adjusting and connecting fall protection systems and components, and emergency response procedures [3]

In addition to the training described above, an employer must ensure that a worker is made aware of the fall hazards particular to that work site and the steps being taken to eliminate or control those hazards [3].