Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

2.16 (1) The cleaning of a window on any level above the ground floor level of a building the construction of which begins on or after the day of the coming into force of this subsection shall be done in accordance with the requirements of CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z91-M90, entitled Safety Code for Window Cleaning Operations, as amended from time to time.

(2) To the extent reasonably practicable, the cleaning of a window on any level above the ground floor level of a building the construction of which began before the day of the coming into force of this subsection shall be done in accordance with the requirements referred to in subsection (1).

(3) Subsections (4) to (8) apply to buildings whose owners are employers as defined in subsection 122(1) of the Act.

(4) The employer shall, in respect of buildings the construction of which begins on or after the day of the coming into force of this subsection, ensure that a qualified person inspects the anchor points and permanently installed suspended platforms used for window cleaning and that they meet the requirements referred to in subsection (1).

(5) The employer shall, in respect of buildings the construction of which began before the day of the coming into force of this subsection, ensure that a qualified person inspects the anchor points and permanently installed suspended platforms used for window cleaning and that they meet the requirements of CSA Standard Z91-M1980, entitled Safety Code for Window Cleaning Operations, the English version of which is dated May 1980 and the French version of which is dated November 1983.

(6) The inspection of anchor points and permanently installed suspended platforms shall be done

• (a) before they are used for the first time;

• (b) as often as necessary, but at least as often as recommended by their manufacturer;

• (c) whenever they are reported as being defective; and

• (d) in every case, at least once a year.

(7) Immediately on completion of an inspection, the qualified person shall, in a written, signed and dated report, inform the employer of any defects or hazardous conditions detected in the anchor points or permanently installed suspended platforms.

(8) The employer shall

• (a) ensure that any reported defect in the anchor points or permanently installed suspended platforms is repaired before they are used;

• (b) ensure that any maintenance and repairs are performed in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations;

• (c) keep, for a period of two years, a record of any inspection and maintenance, including the date the inspection or maintenance was carried out and the name of the person who did it; and

• (d) keep, for as long as the anchor points and permanently installed suspended platforms are used, a record of the modifications or repairs made to them, including the day the work was done and the name of the person who did it.