Maritime Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

144 (1) The employer must provide a fall-protection system to every person, other than an employee who is installing or removing a fall-protection system, who is granted access to

• (a) an unguarded work area that is

  • (i) more than 2.4 m above the nearest permanent safe level,

  • (ii) above any moving parts of machinery or any other surface or thing that could cause injury to a person on contact, or

  • (iii) above an open hold;

• (b) a structure referred to in Part 2 that is more than 3 m above a permanent safe level; or

• (c) a ladder at a height of more than 2.4 m above the nearest permanent safe level and because of the nature of the work, that person can use only one hand to hold onto the ladder.

(2) The components of a fall-protection system must meet the following standards:

• (a) CSA Standard Z259.1-05, Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint;

• (b) CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z259.2.1-98 (R2008), Fall Arresters, Vertical Lifelines and Rails;

• (c) CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z259.2.2-98 (R2009), Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall-Arrest Systems;

• (d) CSA Standard Z259.2.3-99 (R2004), Descent Control Devices;

• (e) CSA Standard Z259.10-06, Full Body Harnesses;

• (f) CSA Standard Z259.11-05, Energy Absorbers and Lanyards;

• (g) CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z259.12-01 (R2006), Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS);

• (h) CSA Standard Z259.13-04 (R2009), Flexible Horizontal Lifeline Systems; and

• (i) CSA Standard Z259.16-04 (R2009), Design of Active Fall-Protection Systems.

(3) The anchor of a fall-protection system must 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 must prevent that person

• (a) from being subjected to a peak fall arrest force of more than 8 kN; and

• (b) from falling freely for more than 1.2 m.

(5) An employer must train and instruct every employee required to install or remove a fall-protection system in a work place in the procedures to be followed for the installation or removal of the system.