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Basics of Fall Protection
Questions and answers about CSAO's training program
1) With respect to fall protection training, what are construction employers now required to do?
All construction employers in Ontario are required to ensure
- that every worker who may use a fall protection system is adequately trained in its use and given adequate oral and written instructions by a competent person
- that training records are kept, including training dates and participants' names
- that training records are available to Ministry of Labour inspectors on request.
2) Where are these requirements spelled out?
In Section 26 of the construction regulation (Ontario Regulation 213/91).
3) When do these requirements come into effect?
June 12, 2002.
4) What is "adequate training"?
One form of adequate training is the Basics of Fall Protection program produced by the Construction Safety Association of Ontario (CSAO). When delivered according to instructions, this program can help to provide adequate training. Construction employers must ensure that their workers have been trained in the specific fall protection equipment and applications they will encounter on the job.
Basics of Fall Protection enables participants to
a) recognize common fall hazards
b) identify and apply basic fall protection controls.
Combined with job-specific training, Basics of Fall Protection can help construction employers comply with regulations, ensure that workers are adequately trained, keep records of training, and issue proof-of-training cards.
5) What is included in Basics of Fall Protection?
The program consists of
- User's Guide
- Trainer's Guide
- videotape
The User's Guide provides basic information on fall protection. It includes an Evaluation Questionnaire, Answer Sheet, and proof-of-training card.
The Trainer's Guide outlines how to conduct effective fall protection training. It includes answers to the Evaluation Questionnaire and a Record of Training form for entering dates, locations, and participants' names.
The videotape illustrates the essentials of fall protection and can be used either as a review for experienced workers or as an introduction for inexperienced workers.
Together the guides and the videotape make up the trainer's toolkit. To train ten workers, for instance, would take one trainer's toolkit and ten User's Guides.
6) Do trainers need special training to use the toolkit?
No. The toolkit has been designed as a do-it-yourself program. By using the materials provided and following the instructions in the Trainer's Guide, a competent person can conduct fall protection training. If additional help is required, CSAO offers training sessions on how to use the toolkit and information sessions explaining requirements.
7) How much does Basics of Fall Protection cost?
| Product | Member Price* | Non-Member Price | ON Schools Price** |
|---|---|---|---|
Trainer's Kit (M054KIT – User's Guide, Trainer's Guide, videotape) |
$29.95 | $149.95 | $29.95 |
| 1 User's Guide (M053) | $10.95 | $21.95 | $10.95 |
| 5 User's Guides (M053B) | $24.95 | $49.95 | $24.95 |
| 25 User's Guides (M053C) | $89.95 | $199.95 | $89.95 |
| 500 User's Guides (M053D) | $1,250.00 | $2,995.00 | $1,250.00 |
*Member Price. You are a member if you work in the Ontario construction industry and your company pays a construction rate to the WSIB in Ontario (rate numbers 704, 707, 711, 719, 723, 728, 732, 737, 741, 748, 751, 764), or you are a member of a construction union in Ontario. Prices include shipping and handling.
**Ontario Schools Price. You are eligible for this price if you are ordering on behalf of the school board of a High School, College or University in Ontario. Prices include shipping and handling.
8) Does CSAO conduct Basics of Fall Protection training?
Yes. CSAO conducts Basics of Fall Protection training at the rate of $50 per participant with a minimum charge of $300 per session. The program has been designed, however, for do-it-yourself delivery by construction employers and industry trainers.
9) Does CSAO keep records of workers who receive Basics of Fall Protection training?
CSAO does not keep records of workers who receive Basics of Fall Protection training from
- construction employers or their designated trainers
- instructors whom CSAO has trained.
Where CSAO staff deliver the program, employers and workers are given records of training. But this information is not entered or retained in CSAO's permanent database.
10) Are construction employers, unions, or private trainers required to use CSAO's Basics of Fall Protection program?
No. Construction employers, unions, and private trainers are free to choose CSAO's program, use another program, or develop one of their own. There is no standard to define what must be done to ensure that a worker is "adequately trained" in fall protection under the regulation. In assessing compliance, the Ministry of Labour will determine whether training is adequate or not. The Basics of Fall Protection program has been endorsed by the industry's Provincial Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee and is fully a document of accord between labour and management authorities.
11) How long does it take to deliver Basics of Fall Protection training?
There is no set time for training. Many experienced workers have already received formal or informal training. They may only need to review what they already know. Inexperienced workers, on the other hand, may require more training time to learn basic hazards and controls, be introduced to fall protection methods, and demonstrate what they need to know.
Duration also depends on factors such as the size of the group, the learning pace of different participants, problems with literacy or language, and the range of fall protection applications to be covered.
12) What is the recommended process for training experienced and inexperienced workers?
CSAO recommends that the two groups be trained separately.
13) Is Basics of Fall Protection training portable from one employer to another?
Yes, to the extent that the program covers basic, generic information about common fall protection methods that all construction workers should know. But employers must ensure that their workers have been trained in the particular equipment and applications they will encounter on the job. Although new hires may present a proof-of-training card issued by their previous employer, their familiarity with the equipment and applications specific to their new workplace should be assessed.
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14) Is there an expiry date for fall protection training? There are no plans to attach an expiry date to training. 15) Does the Ministry of Labour recognize CSAO's Basics of Fall Protection program? Yes, to the extent that the program covers basic, generic information about common fall protection methods that all construction workers should know. The Ministry of Labour was involved in program development and review. As noted in the answer to Question 13, construction employers must also provide training in the particular equipment and applications their workers will encounter on the job. |
16) Does CSAO still offer no-cost presentations on fall protection?
CSAO continues to deliver informal presentations on fall protection at no charge to labour and management in Ontario construction. These are generally hazard awareness and information sessions. Information on fall protection is also included in larger programs such as multilevel trade training and the Construction Health and Safety Representative program.
17) Where do I have to use a guardrail system?
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 that meets 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.
18) Where do I have to use a travel-restraint system?
Where work must be done within 2 metres (6 feet) of an open, unprotected edge that presents a fall hazard, a fall protection system must be provided. A travel-restraint system can afford the protection required. The system lets a worker travel just far enough to reach the 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, and
- adequate anchorage (capable of supporting a static load of 2 kilonewtons-450 pounds-with a recommended safety factor of at least 2,
that is, 4 kilonewtons or 900 pounds).
19) Where do I have to use a fall-arrest system?
Where workers cannot be protected from falls by guardrails or travel restraint, they must be protected by at least one of the following methods:
- A fall-restricting system - designed to limit a worker's free fall distance to 0.6 metres (2 feet). One type uses a belt grab or belly hook that
attaches to a safety rail on a fixed ladder - A safety net - must be designed by a professional engineer. The system is installed below a work surface to protect any location where a fall
hazard exists. - A fall-arrest system, which:
- must include a CSA-approved full body harness,
- must include a lanyard equipped with a shock absorber unless the shock absorber could cause a falling worker to hit the ground or an
object or level below the work, - must be attached to a lifeline or by the lanyard to an adequate fixed support,
- must prevent a falling worker from hitting the ground or any object or level below the work, and
- must not subject a falling worker to a peak fall-arrest force greater than 8 kilonewtons.
In the event of a fall, these systems must keep a worker from hitting the ground, the next level below, or any other objects below.
