To reduce fatalities, start with falls

In 2003, there were 30 accidental deaths in Ontario construction. More than half resulted from falls.
Measures for fall protection are well known but mean nothing without effective management. By
law, all construction employers in Ontario must ensure that
every worker who may use a fall protection system is trained in its use by a competent person
records of training are kept, including training dates and participant names
training records are available to Ministry of Labour inspectors upon request.
To help contractors meet these requirements, CSAO offers a do-it-yourself training program called
Basics of Fall Protection. Use the form on page 7 to order the program. For more information, phone
the Order Desk at 1-800-781-2726.
Get the edge on falls
When you review accidental deaths
in Ontario construction, falls are the
number one killer.
Construction workers have fallen
off edges of every description.
The most common are floors,
roofs, and openings in floors and
roofs. When an unprotected edge
makes you worry about falling,
take action. Set up guardrails,
install opening covers, or use a
fall-arrest system securely tied off.
Anumber of fatal falls have
occurred among small crews
doing jobs of low cost and short
duration. Contractors evidently
thought the jobs were small and
quick enough not to warrant fall
protection. That was their fatal
mistake.
Construction workers have been
killed when they removed the
plywood cover from a roof or
floor opening to use the material
elsewhere and inadvertently
stepped into the opening. Covers
should be clearly identified in
bright paint: OPENING COVER!
DO NOT REMOVE!
Your chances of falling from a
ladder are significantly reduced if
you maintain three-point contact
when climbing up and down the
ladder or working from it. Three-
point contact means one hand
and two feet or two hands and
one foot on the ladder at all times.
Construction workers have been
killed when they fell from
ladders that slid or slipped
because the ladders werent
secured at top and bottom. In
addition, use a mudsill to
support ladder feet on soft,
uncompacted, or rough soil.
On scaffolds and other work
platforms where personnel can
fall 2.4 metres (8 feet) or more,
guardrails must be installed or a
fall-arrest system must be worn.
Construction workers have been
killed by falls as low as two feet.
Where practical, install guardrails
even on low work platforms.
When working from any raised
surface, remember where you
are. Dont step backward. Dont
shift footing without looking
down first.
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
FACTS
about
... and what YOU can
do to stop them.
Copy and
distribute
If youre going to get seriously or fatally
injured on the job, chances are itll be from a fall.
More construction workers die from falls than from
any other kind of injury.
Everyone faces this risk. Falls happen in all sectors, all project types, and all trades.
Falls happen because people dont follow the regulations or accepted good practices.
The regulations dont need to be changed, and the solutions are neither complex nor technical in
nature. Arm yourself with the facts!
LADDERS
LADDERS
Facts
Falls from ladders are the leading hazard
in both residential and ICI work.
A few simple rules can prevent most or all
of these kinds of injuries.
Heres what to do

Never over-reach to get at something off

to the side. Always re-position your ladder.

Make sure that your extension ladder is

free of damage to rungs, siderails, and hardware
set up so that the base is level and the bottom cant slip
sloped between 1:3 and 1:4
tall enough to extend at least 3 feet beyond the landing area at the top
secured at the top if it will be a regular means of access.

Consider using ladder stabilizing attachments at the top and base.

Make sure your step ladder is

free of damage (no cracks in rungs or siderails, no excessive lateral play in the hinges)
set up with the legs fully extended and locked
tall enough to let you work while keeping your waist below the top of the ladder.
2 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
FACTS
about
... and what YOU can
do to stop them.
Copy and
distribute
ROOFS
ROOFS
Facts
You face the second highest risk of falling when you work on a sloped roof or near the edge of
a flat roof.
Falls are most common at residential low-rise and commercial projects.
There are fall protection solutions for working on roofs, but theyre not used often enough.
Complying with the regulations and current good practices would prevent most, if not all,
fall injuries from roofs. There is some inherent risk of falling while installing or removing
fall protection systems on roofs, but theres only been one case of such a fall.
Heres what to do
Always use a fall-arrest or travel-restraint system.
Use rooftop anchorage systems. Theyre available.
If you cant install rooftop anchorage, rig a lifeline
over the roof to a temporary anchor on the other
side of the building.
Ladders should extend 3 feet above the landing
area on the roof, and they should be secured
against slipping.
Use edge protection along the eaves to prevent
tools or material from sliding off the roof.
While edge protection doesnt qualify as a
guardrail, it may make the life-saving difference
when things go wrong.
Use properly-constructed scaffolding when doing
chimney maintenance or repairs.
Use barriers on flat roofs to keep workers from
walking backwards towards the edge.
Cover skylights or other openings securely, or
protect them with guardrails.
3 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
FACTS
about
... and what YOU can
do to stop them.
Copy and
distribute
SCAFFOLDS
SCAFFOLDS
OTHER FALLS
OTHER FALLS
Facts
Falls from scaffolds are caused by
problems with accesssystems for getting up or down,
on or off the scaffold, are improper or inadequate.
incomplete or inadequate planking or decking.
structural failure from incomplete bracing or faulty erection.
Some falls occur when workers are erecting or dismantling
the scaffold.
Heres what to do
Ensure that the scaffold is properly constructed, level, and
plumb, with all bracing properly installed.
Use a proper ladder to get on or off the scaffold.
Ensure that planking and decking is free from damage, properly installed, and fully covers the
working level of the scaffold.
Always use fall-arrest systems when youre erecting or dismantling scaffolds.
Inspect scaffolds regularly to ensure that theyre safe.
Ensure that guardrails are installed on the working level.
Facts
Common fall hazards involve
inadequately protected floor openings
poor housekeeping in stairways
makeshift work platforms
missing or inadequate guardrails
platform failure from overloading.
Heres what to do
Put guardrails around floor openings or cover
them securely. Mark covers to keep them from
being removed accidentally.
Keep hallways, stairs, and landing areas clear.
Do not use upside-down pails, crates, or
other makeshift platforms.
Use guardrails to protect floor edges.
4 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
5 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
Warning Barriers and Bump Lines
Warning barriers and bump lines prevent falls by alerting
workers to fall hazards. Warning barriers and bump lines
should be set up around the work area at least 2 metres
(6 feet 6 inches) from unprotected edges.
When a work area is enclosed by properly-installed and
maintained warning barriers or bump lines, work inside the
area can be done without additional fall protection
measures. But anyone outside the area who is working less
than 2 metres from the edge must use approved fall
protection.
Lines or barriers should be 1.07 metres (42 inches) high and
consist of weighted posts, fibre rope, and warning flags or
signs along their entire length, as per the regulations.
Locking
Snap
Hooks
Rope
Grab
To adequate
anchor point
Web
Lanyard
Lifeline
Full
Body
Harness
Shock
Absorber
Personal Fall Protection
Personal fall protection equipment consists of the
components shown in the illustration below. This
equipment can be used for travel restraint or fall arrest.
Travel Restraint Systems
A travel restraint system lets a worker travel just far enough
to reach the edge but not far enough to fall over.
2.4m (8'-0") max.
Top Rail
M
id Rail
Toeboard
3
0
0
m
m
m
a
x
.
Wood
0
.
9
m

t
o

1
.
1
m
FALL
HAZARD
Guardrails
A worker at risk of falling more than 3 metres (10 feet)
must be protected by a guardrail system. If such a system is
not practical, then a travel-restraint system, fall-arrest
system, or safety net must be used. In many cases, guardrails
are the most reliable and convenient means of fall
protection.
A guardrail system meeting regulated requirements must be
used if a worker has access to the unprotected edge of any of
the following work surfaces and is exposed to a fall of 2.4
metres (8 feet) or more:
a floor, including the floor of a mezzanine or balcony
the surface of a bridge
a roof while formwork is in place
a scaffold platform or other work platform, runway, or
ramp.
Other areas to be protected by guardrails include
openings in floors, roofs, and other working surfaces not
otherwise covered or protected
edges of slab formwork for floors and roofs
locations where a worker may fall into water, operating
machinery, or hazardous substances.
Basic requirements for wood guardrails include
top rail, mid rail, and toeboard secured to vertical supports
top rail between 91 cm (3 feet) and 1.07 metres (3 feet 6
inches) high
toeboard at least 10.2 cm (4 inches) high 89 mm (3 1/2
inches) high if made of wood and installed flush with
the surface
posts no more than 2.4 metres (8 feet) apart.

A worker at risk of falling more than 3 metres
(10 feet) or falling into operating machinery,
water, another liquid, or a hazardous substance or
object must be protected by guardrails, safety net,
fall-arrest system, or travel-restraint system.
A travel-restraint system lets a worker travel just
far enough to reach an unprotected edge but not
far enough to fall over.
The basic travel-restraint system consists of
CSA-approved full body harness
lanyard
lifeline
rope grab to attach harness or lanyard to lifeline
adequate anchorage (capable of supporting a
static load of 2 kilonewtons450 pounds
with a recommended safety factor of at least 2,
that is, 4 kilonewtons or 900 pounds).
Travel Restraint
Two basic
methods of
travel restraint
are commonly
used.
Travel Restraint
on Sloped Roof
6 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
Name _____________________________________________________________________________________________
Organization ________________________________________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________Postal Code _______________________
Phone _________________ Fax ________________ Method of payment JVisa JMasterCard JAmerican Express
Credit card number ___________________________ Expiry date ______________
Cardholder name and signature _________________________________________________________________________
Please mail or fax this form to Customer Service
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO
21 Voyager Court South, Etobicoke, Ontario M9W 5M7
Fax [416] 674-8866 1-800-781-2726
Order Form Basics of Fall Protection
Materials Member price* Non-member price
Trainers kit (M054KIT) one users guide, one trainers guide, one videotape $24.95 $99.95
Users guide (M053) 1 $10.95 $21.95
5 $19.95 $39.95
25 $74.95 $149.95
Please send Quantity Member price* Non-member price Total
Trainers kit (M054KIT)
Users guide (M053)
+ 7% GST
Grand Total
Price includes shipping and handling. Disponible en franais
*Members are labour and management in Ontario construction, including companies with a
WSIB construction rate number, construction unions, and construction trade associations.
Planning
Travel-restraint arrangements must be thoroughly
planned, with careful consideration to
- selection of appropriate components
- location of adequate anchor points
- identification of every fall hazard in the proposed
work area.
Try to select an anchor point that is as close as
possible to being
- perpendicular to the unprotected edge and
- at the centre of the work area.
All fall hazards in the work area must be identified.
Pay special attention to work areas with irregular
shaped perimeters, floor openings, or locations
near corners.
A fully extended lifeline and/or lanyard that
adequately restrains a worker from a fall hazard in
one section of the work area may be too long to
provide the same protection in other adjacent
sections of the work area.
Points where the system cannot provide travel
restraint should be blocked off by bump lines or
warning barriers. Anchorage can be adjusted to
provide travel restraint at these points once work
is complete in protected sections.
Basic Types of Travel Restraint
Two methods of travel restraint are commonly
used in construction.
1) Connecting an adequately anchored lifeline
directly to the D-ring of the workers full body
harness.Its absolutely critical that the length of the
lifeline, measured from the anchor point, is short
enough to restrain the worker from any fall hazard.
2) Attaching a lanyard from the D-ring of the
workers full body harness to a rope grab on an
adequately anchored lifeline. There must be
some meanssuch as a knot in the lifelineto
prevent the rope grab from sliding along the
lifeline to a point where the worker is no
longer restrained from falling.
Whether method 1 or 2 is used, the system must
be adjusted so that the fully extended lifeline
and/or lanyard prevents the worker from reaching
any point where the worker may fall. The system
must also be securely anchored.
Travel Restraint
Identify
every fall
hazard in
the work
area.
7 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
Shop direct. Drop by our Etobicoke office to order
and receive your training supplies without delay.

8 CONSTRUCTION SAFETY Special Issue
CSAO has produced posters and stickers to motivate
everyone on site to use fall protection.
The largest poster is 17 x 22 and printed on vinyl
(P042 shown at left). Two smaller, 8
1
/
2
x 11 posters
(below) convey the messages Tie Off (P043) and
Falls are killing us (P044).
The two stickers shown below are also available (2
1
/
2

in diameter, ten per sheetS052).

Call CSAOs Order Desk for your free copies:
1-800-781-2726.
Or ask for the posters and stickers on CD. A printing
company can use the CD to personalize the items with
the name and logo of your organization and produce as
many as you need (at your expense).
Help us get the message out
today!
New posters and
stickers promote
fall protection
New posters and
stickers promote
fall protection
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