Where workers cannot be protected from falls by guardrails or travel restraint, they must be protected by at least one of the following methods:
- Fall arrest system
- Safety net
- Fall restricting system
These systems keep a worker from hitting the ground, the next level below, or any other objects below.
A fall arrest system is an assembly of components joined together so that when the assembly is connected to a fixed support, it is capable of arresting a worker’s fall. Fall arrest systems must include:
- CSA-approved full body harness.
- Lanyard equipped with a shock absorber unless the shock absorber could cause a falling worker to hit the ground or an object or a level below the work.
- Approved Anchor Point which the harness must be connected to it by a lifeline, or by a lanyard and a lifeline.
Fall arrest systems 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.
A fall restricting system is designed to limit a worker’s free fall distance to 600 mm (2 ft). An example uses a belt grab or belly hook that attaches to a safety rail on a fixed ladder.
A safety net system MUST be designed by a professional engineer. The system is installed below a work surface where a fall hazard exists.