Codes, Regulations, & Standards

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Occupational Health and Safety Code - Alberta Regulation 87/2009

• Part 8 (subpart 8-4): Fixed Access Ladders
• Part 9 - Fall Protection
• Part 23 - Scaffolds and Temporary Work Platforms
  • (Subparts: 341 – 345 & 351)
• Part 41 - Work Requiring Rope Access

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act & Workers Compensation Act

British Columbia Regulation 296/97

• Part 11 - Fall Protection
• Part 13 - Ladders, Scaffolds, and Temporary Work Platforms
• Part 34 - Rope Access

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation

• Part 13.20 - Fixed Ladders
• Part 14 - Fall Protection

Note: the following section from the has been included as it identifies a building requirement for safety roof anchors.

Building Requirements 
Required roof protection

14.27(1) The owner of a building that is more than five storeys tall or 15 m
in height that is constructed after the coming into force of this
regulation must either

(a) provide a permanent perimeter guardrail system that meets the
requirements of this Part; or

(b) provide roof-level protection consisting of

(i) a continuous parapet or fencing not less than 900 mm in
height, or

(ii) a system of lifeline anchors with one anchor set back a
minimum of 3 m from the edge of the roof for every six linear metres of unprotected roof edge.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Newbrunswick - General Regulation 91-191

• Part VII - Protective Equipment
  • Section 49: Fall Protection 
• Part X - Construction, Traffic and Building Safety 
  • Section 105 - Roofs
  • Section 111 - Openings 
• Part XI - Temporary Structures 
  • Section 121: Fixed Ladders
  • Section 140 to 142: Suspended Equipment 
  • Section 142 to 146 - Swing Staging and Boatswain's Chair

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Newfoundland and Labrador Regulation 5/12

• Part V - General Health and Safety Requirements
  • (subsection: 29 - Roof Work)
• Part X - Fall Protection
• Part XI - Scaffolds, Stages and Work Platforms

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Nova Scotia - Work Place and Safety Regulations 

Part 21 - Fall Protection 

21.1     In this Part,

“arborist” means a person trained and employed, in whole or in part, to climb trees for an economic or scientific purpose, including any of the following:

(i)   detecting and treating disease, infections or infestations,

(ii)  pruning, spraying or trimming,

(iii) repairing damaged trees,

(iv) assessing growth or harvesting potential;

“body belt” means a body support device that encircles the body at or about the waist;

“energy absorber” means a component of a fall-protection system consisting of a device that dissipates kinetic energy and does not return it to the fall-arrest system or into a person’s body;

“fall distance” means the vertical distance a person may fall, measured from the surface where the weight of a person is supported to the surface the person could fall onto;

“fall-arrest system” means a fall-protection system consisting of an assembly of components that arrests a person’s fall when properly assembled, used together and connected to a suitable anchorage;

“fall-protection system” means any secondary system that is intended to prevent a person from falling or arrests a fall that occurs, and includes guardrails, temporary flooring, travel-restraint systems, personnel safety nets and fall-arrest systems;

“full-body harness” means a body-holding device, similar to a parachute harness, that transfers suspension forces or impacts during a fall arrest to a person’s pelvis or skeleton;

“guardrail” means a fall-protection system consisting of vertical and horizontal members that

(i)   are capable of withstanding concentrated forces, as prescribed in these regulations or an applicable standard,

(ii)  warn of a fall hazard, and

(iii) reduce the risk of a fall;

“horizontal lifeline” means a flexible line made from wire, fibre rope, wire rope, or rod, with end terminations at both ends, that extends horizontally from one end anchorage to another;

“lanyard” means a flexible line or strap used to secure a full-body harness to an energy absorber, fall-arrester, lifeline or anchorage;

“lifeline” means a component of a fall-protection system consisting of a vertical lifeline or a horizontal lifeline;

“personnel safety net” means a fall-protection system that uses at least 1 net to stop a person who is falling before the person makes contact with a lower level or obstruction;

“elevating work-platform” means a mobile horizontal working surface that provides access and support to a person at a workplace, and that is elevated and lowered by means of a mechanism that complies with Part 23: Scaffolds and Other Elevated Work-platforms

“safe surface” means an area that meets all of the following criteria:

(i)   it is large enough and strong enough to adequately support a person who falls,

(ii)  it is level enough to prevent a further fall by a person who has fallen,

“self-retracting device” means a device that arrests a person’s fall by performing a tethering function while allowing vertical movement below the device to the maximum working length of the device;

“temporary flooring” means a fall-protection system consisting of a horizontal working surface that is designed, constructed and installed to provide access to areas that do not have permanent flooring by protecting a person from falling through an unprotected opening;

“travel restraint system” means a fall-protection system that will prevent a person from reaching an unprotected edge or opening;

“vertical lifeline” means a flexible lifeline with an end termination on the top end that is connected to an anchorage or anchorage connector and hangs vertically from where it is connected;

“work-platform” means a raised temporary horizontal working surface that provides access and support to a person at a workplace;

“work-positioning system” means an assembly of components that, when properly assembled and used together, supports a person in a position or location so that the person’s hands are free in the work position, but does not include a boatswain’s chair, ladder, rope access or scaffold.

When Fall Protection is Required

Fall protection required

21.2     (1)  Except as provided in subsections (3) to (5), fall protection is required if a person is at risk of falling from a work area where the fall distance is

(a)    3 m or more above the nearest safe surface or water;

(b)    less than 3 m and the work area is above 1 of the following:

(i)   a surface or thing that could cause injury to the person on contact that is worse than an injury from landing on a solid, flat surface,

(ii)  exposed hazardous material, such as in an open tank, pit or vat.

(2)  If fall protection is required, an employer must ensure that at least 1 of the following means of fall protection is used, as appropriate in the circumstances:

(a)    a guardrail;

(b)    temporary flooring;

(c)    a personnel safety net;

(d)    a travel restraint system;

(e)    a fall-arrest system.

(3)  Fall protection is not required for a person who is entering or exiting a work area by a safe means of access and egress.

(4)  Fall protection is required only where reasonably practicable and to the extent reasonably practicable in any of the following circumstances:

(a)    if work must be performed on or from a vehicle, rail car or other mobile equipment;

(b)    if it is not reasonably practicable to perform work other than from a ladder and it is not reasonably practicable for the person performing the work to maintain adequate contact with the ladder while performing the work;

(c)    if the density of tree branches prevents an arborist from crotching.

(5)  If it is not reasonably practicable to use fall protection in the circumstances described in subsection (4), an employer must ensure that an alternate control measure is used to reduce, to the extent reasonably practicable, the risk of a fall.

Fall-Protection Plans and Procedures

Written fall-protection safe-work procedure

21.3     (1)  Except as provided in subsection (2), an employer must establish a written fall-protection safe-work procedure for the type of work to be performed in any work area where fall protection is required and the maximum fall distance is less than 7.5 m.

(2)  A written fall-protection safe-work procedure is not required under subsection (1) if any of the following conditions apply:

(a)    all persons performing the work are protected by a permanent guardrail;

(b)    the work is performed from a work-platform described in Sections 23.12 to 23.15 of Part 23: Scaffolds and Other Elevated Work-platforms and all persons performing the work are using adequate fall protection.

(3)  A fall-protection safe-work procedure must be based on a hazard assessment of the work typically performed by the employer and must include all of the following information:

(a)    the nature of the work to be performed;

(b)    the typical duration of the work;

(c)    a description of the work;

(d)    a list of the primary tools or equipment used in the work;

(e)    reference to applicable health and safety legislation and regulations;

(f)     a list of potential fall hazards of the work and their associated risks;

(g)    the risk controls to be used to prevent injury to persons coming in contact with known hazards;

(h)    the effect of weather conditions;

(i)     the name of the person or position that has supervisory responsibility for the work, whether the person is present at the work area or not;

(j)     the training and qualifications required for persons who will perform the work, as determined by the employer;

(k)    a method for communicating the fall-protection safe-work procedure to any person who may be affected by the procedure.

Written fall-protection safe-work plan

21.4     (1)  Except as provided in subsection (2), an employer must establish a specific written fall-protection safe-work plan for a specific work area where fall protection is required and the fall distance is 7.5 m or more.

(2)  A specific written fall-protection safe-work plan is not required under subsection (1) if any of the following conditions apply:

(a)    all persons performing the work are protected by a permanent guardrail;

(b)    the work is performed from a work-platform described in Sections 23.12 to 23.15 of Part 23: Scaffolds and Other Elevated Work-platforms and all persons performing the work are using adequate fall protection;

(c)    the work is performed by an emergency services agency in accordance with Section 1.16.

(3)  A fall-protection safe-work plan must be established based on a hazard assessment of the specific work to be performed in the work area and must include all of the following information:

(a)    the nature of the work to be performed;

(b)    the anticipated duration of the work;

(c)    a description of the work;

(d)    a list of the primary tools or equipment to be used in the work;

(e)    reference to applicable health and safety legislation and regulations;

(f)     a list of potential fall hazards of the work and their associated risks;

(g)    the fall-protection system or systems to be used at the work area;

(h)    any anchorages to be used during the work;

(i)     if a fall-arrest system is to be used, confirmation that the clearance distances below the work area are sufficient to prevent a person from striking

(i)   the nearest safe surface or water,

(ii)  a surface or thing that could cause injury to the person on contact, or

(iii) exposed hazardous material, such as an open tank, pit or vat;

(j)     a procedure to address the risks associated with the potential for swing as a result of anchorage placement when a person is using a fall-arrest system;

(k)    the procedures to be used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use and disassemble a fall-protection system, as applicable;

(l)     schedules for inspecting any fall-protection systems and the names of any persons responsible for carrying out the inspections;

(m)   adequate written rescue procedures to be used if a person falls and requires rescue, including if a person is suspended by a fall-arrest system or personnel safety net;

(n)    the effect of weather conditions;

(o)    the name of a designated competent person to supervise the work area;

(p)    the training and qualifications required for persons who will perform the work, as determined by the employer;

(q)    a method for communicating the fall-protection safe-work plan to any person who may be affected by the plan.

(4)  If a workplace has more than 1 work area for which a fall-protection safe-work plan is required, an employer may create a separate plan for each specific work area or one overall plan for the workplace that includes all of the requirements necessary for each specific plan.

Fall-Protection Systems

Guardrails

1.5     (1)  An employer must ensure that a guardrail that is used as a means of fall protection is installed at all of the following places in a work area:

(a)    around any uncovered opening in any surface;

(b)    at the perimeter or other open side of a work area.

(2)  A guardrail must be designed and installed in compliance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffolds”.

(3)  If there is a risk of falling at a doorway or the opening of a building floor, roof, walls or shaft, an employer must ensure that a guardrail is

(a)    installed in accordance with this Section; and

(b)    marked with a warning sign that indicates the presence of a doorway or other opening.

Temporary flooring

21.6     An employer must ensure that temporary flooring that is used as a means of fall protection is able to withstand 4 times the maximum load likely to be on it and is installed so that it meets all of the following:

(a)    it extends over the entire work area with the exception of any openings necessary for the carrying out of work;

(b)    it is securely fastened to prevent lateral and upward movement.

Personnel safety nets

21.7     (1)  An employer must ensure that a personnel safety net used as a means of fall protection is designed, manufactured, installed, used, inspected, tested and made of materials in accordance with the latest version of ANSI standard A10.11, “American National Standard for Construction and Demolition Operations – Personnel and Debris Nets”.

(2)  Despite any requirements set out in the standard required by subsection (1), a personnel safety net must be erected and installed in accordance with all of the following:

(a)    it must be erected and installed under the supervision of a competent person;

(b)    it must be positioned as close as reasonably practicable, but no more than 9 m below the work area and extend at least 2.4 m on all sides beyond the work area;

(c)    it must be positioned and maintained so that when arresting the fall of a person, the maximum deflection of the personnel safety net does not permit any portion of the person to contact another surface;

(d)    it must be free of debris, obstructions or intervening objects that may be struck by a person who falls from a workplace into the net.

Travel restraint systems

21.8     An employer must ensure that a personal travel restraint system that is used as a means of fall protection to restrict movement meets the requirements of the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.16, “Design of active fall-protection systems”.

Fall-arrest Systems

21.9     An employer must ensure that a fall-arrest system that is used as a means of fall-protection is erected, installed, assembled, used, handled, stored, adjusted, maintained, repaired, inspected, serviced, tested, cleaned and dismantled in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and designed in accordance with the requirements of the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.16, “Design of active fall-protection systems”.

Fall-arrest for arborists

21.10 (1)     An arborist using a fall-arrest system as a means of fall protection must ensure that the fall-arrest system includes all of the following:

(a)    a work-positioning system and a travel restraint system, the design, markings and instructions of which comply with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.1, “Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint”;

(b)    if reasonably practicable, a second climbing rope or safety strap that is manufactured for the purpose of tree climbing and that meets all of the following criteria:

(i)   it provides additional stability,

(ii)  it provides back-up fall protection,

(iii) it is capable of withstanding the greater of the following:

(A) 2 times the maximum load likely to be on it,

(B)  a load of 22 kN.

(2)  An arborist must do all of the following before climbing in a work area:

(a)    visually assess the structural stability of the tree;

(b)    select and assess the safest path of ascent;

(c)    select an appropriate crotch position as a work area.

(3)  While working in a tree with a fall-arrest system, and [an] arborist must do all of the following:

(a)    wherever practicable, work from a crotch position with the fall-arrest system secured to an anchorage above the crotch position;

(b)    when changing crotch positions, remain secured by the fall-arrest system to the anchorage for the previous crotch position until secured by the fall-arrest system to the anchorage for the next crotch position;

(c)    not change crotch positions without selecting the next crotch position in advance;

(d)    not climb above an anchorage unless secured by another fall-arrest system secured at or above the level of the arborist;

Clause (d) moved to correct place in alphabetical order for the purposes of this consolidation.

(e)    ensure that slack only occurs in ropes or lines that are part of the fall-arrest system, if it is

(i)   essential to the performance of the work, and

(ii)  no greater than is consistent with the safe performance of the work;

Clause (e) moved to correct place in alphabetical order for the purposes of this consolidation.

(f)     when transferring from an elevating work-platform to a tree, remain attached to an anchorage on the work-platform by way of a fall-arrest system until secured to an anchorage on the tree by way of a fall-arrest system;

Clause (f) moved to correct place in alphabetical order for the purposes of this consolidation.

(g)    not work in crews of fewer than 2;

(h)    have at least 1 crew member remain on the ground at the work area.

Work-positioning systems

21.11   (1)  Unless otherwise prescribed in these regulations, an employer must ensure a work-positioning system is used in combination with a fall-arrest system in all of the following circumstances:

(a)    the centre of gravity of the person using the work-positioning system extends beyond the edge from which a person could fall;

(b)    the state or condition of the work surface creates a slipping or tripping hazard.

(2)  A person must not use, and an employer must ensure a person does not use, a work-positioning system as a means of fall arrest.

Equipment 

Full-body harnesses

21.12   An employer must ensure that a person who is using a personal fall-arrest system wears a full-body harness and that the full-body harness is used and certified in compliance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.10, “Full Body Harnesses”.

Body belts

21.13   (1)  An employer must ensure that the design, markings and instructions of body belts used comply with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.1, “Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint”.

(2)  An employer must ensure that body belts are not used as a component of a fall-arrest system.

(3)  A person must not use a body belt as a component of a fall-arrest system.

Energy absorbers and lanyards

21.14   (1)  An employer must ensure that a lanyard or an energy absorber used in a fall-arrest system is used and certified in compliance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.11, “Energy Absorbers and Lanyards”.

(2)  An employer must ensure that a lanyard used in a fall-arrest system is equipped with an energy absorber, unless all of the following conditions are met:

(a)    the combined free-fall distance and the energy absorber deceleration distance exceed the distance between the work area and a safe surface or hazard;

(b)    the fall-arrest system is designed by a competent person to limit the free fall to less than 1.22 m and 8 kN arresting force;

(c)    the fall-arrest system does not permit the user to contact an unsafe surface.

Anchorages

21.15   An employer must ensure that all anchorages used as components of a fall-protection system are capable of withstanding the following forces in any direction in which the force may be applied:

(a)    22 kN, for non-engineered anchorage;

(b)    2 times the maximum arresting force anticipated, for an engineered anchorage.

Horizontal and vertical lifelines

21.16   (1)  An employer must ensure that a horizontal lifeline used as a component of a fall-protection system meets all of the following:

(a)    it is designed and installed in compliance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.16, “Design of Active Fall-Protection Systems;

(b)    it is used, certified and made of material in compliance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.13, “Flexible Horizontal Lifeline Systems”.

(2)  An employer must ensure that a vertical lifeline used as a component of a fall-protection system is used and certified in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.2.1, “Fall Arresters, Vertical Lifelines and Rails”.

Self-retracting devices

21.17   (1)  An employer must ensure the design, markings and instructions for a self-retracting device used as a component of a personal fall-arrest system comply with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.2.2, “Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall-Arrest Systems”.

(2)  An employer must ensure a self-retracting device used as a component of a fall-protection system is

(a)    anchored above the user’s head unless the manufacturer’s specifications allow using a different anchorage location; and

(b)    used in a manner that

(i)   minimizes the hazards of swinging, and

(ii)  if the user falls, limits the distance they drop during the swing to 1.2 m.

Connecting components

21.18   (1)  An employer must ensure all connecting components for a fall-arrest system are used and certified in compliance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.12, “Connecting Components for Personal Fall-Arrest Systems (PFAS)”.

(2)  An employer must ensure any carabiners and snap hooks used as components of a fall-arrest system are

(a)    self-closing and self-locking; and

(b)    only capable of being opened by a minimum of 2 consecutive and deliberate manual actions.

(3)  An employer must ensure that each component of a fall-protection system is compatible with all of the following, as indicated in the manufacturer’s specifications and instructions for use of their equipment:

(a)    each other component and that the safe function of any component does not interfere with the safe function of another component;

(b)    the work conditions and conditions of the physical environment under which the equipment is to be used.

Fall-Protection Training

Fall-protection training required

21.19   (1)  An employer must ensure that a person takes and successfully completes training on fall protection at all of the following times:

(a)    before they do any of the following:

(i)   use fall protection,

(ii)  work in, supervise or plan the work for a work area where fall protection is required; and

(b)    once at least every 3 years.

(2)  A person must not use fall protection or work in, supervise or plan the work for a work area where fall protection is required before successfully completing training as required by this Section.

(3)  In order to successfully complete training, a person must be deemed competent to inspect and use fall protection by 1 of the following persons who conducted the training:

(a)    their employer;

(b)    a training organization.

(4)  Training must be instructed by a competent person.

(5)  The person conducting the training must identify a method of evaluating the person taking the training and determining whether a person successfully completes the training.

Fall-protection training topics

21.20   Training on fall protection must include all of the following, as applicable to the nature of the work:

(a)    a review of all applicable health and safety legislation, regulations and standards;

(b)    identification of fall hazards;

(c)    a review of the hierarchy of controls that may be used to eliminate or minimize risk of injury from a fall;

(d)    the different methods of fall protection and the most suitable application of the methods;

(e)    fall-protection and safe-work procedures;

(f)     instruction on assessing and selecting specific anchors that may be used for various applications;

(g)    instruction on selecting and correctly using fall-protection components, including connecting hardware;

(h)    information about the effect of a fall on the human body, including all of the following:

(i)   free fall,

(ii)  swing fall,

(iii) maximum arresting force, and

(iv) the purpose of energy absorbers,

(i)     pre-use inspections of equipment and systems;

(j)     emergency response procedures to be used if a fall occurs;

(k)    practice in all of the following:

(i)   inspecting, fitting, adjusting and connecting fall-protection systems and components,

(ii)  the emergency response procedures required by clause (j).

Record of fall-protection training

21.21   (1)  A record of fall-protection training required under Section 21.19 for each participant who successfully completes the training must be maintained by all of the following:

(a)    the employer;

(b)    any training organization that conducts the training.

(2)  A record of training under this Section must include all the following information:

(a)    the name of the participant;

(b)    the date or dates of training;

(c)    the name of the instructor;

(d)    the name of the employer;

(e)    the name of the training organization, if training is not conducted by the employer;

(f)     a description of the training;

(g)    the expiry date before which training must be renewed.

(3)  Each person who takes fall-protection training required by Section 21.19 must be given a copy of their record maintained under this Section.

Fall-protection training certificate or card

21.22   (1)  A person who conducts training must give each person who successfully completes the fall-protection training required by Section 21.20 a training certificate or card, signed by the instructor, with all of the following clearly indicated on it:

(a)    the name of the participant;

(b)    the date or dates of training;

(c)    the name of the employer and the training organization, if training is not conducted by the employer;

(d)    the type of training;

(e)    the expiry date for the training certificate or card before which training must be renewed.

(2)  A person must have their fall-protection training certificate or card available at the workplace at all times.

Part 22 - Work Requiring Rope Access 

22.1     In this Part,

“CEN” means the European Committee for Standardization;

“dynamic rope” means rope specifically designed to absorb energy and minimize the impact force in a fall by extending in length;

“code of practice” means a code of practice for rope access adopted in accordance with subsection 22.5(1);

“International Code of Practice” means the latest version of the International Code of Practice published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association;

“kermantel rope” means textile rope consisting of a core enclosed by a sheath;

“low stretch rope” means textile rope with lower elongation and less energy absorbing characteristics than dynamic rope;

“rope access” means a method of using ropes, in combination with other devices, for 1 of the following while further protected by a safety line, in which both the working line and safety line are connected to the user’s harness and separately secured to a reliable anchorage in such a way that a fall is prevented or arrested:

(i)   descending or ascending a working line to get to or from the work area,

(ii)  work positioning;

“rope access system” means a system used to position a person to conduct rope access;

“rope access technician” means a person, including a supervisor, who is trained and competent to perform the specific rope access tasks that are being undertaken;

“safety line” means an anchor line provided as a safeguard to protect against falls if the primary support anchorage or positioning mechanism fails;

“working line” means an anchor line used primarily for access, egress, work positioning and work restraint, but does not include a lifeline as defined in Part 21: Fall Protection.

Application of Part 22

22.2     This Part applies to any workplace where rope access methods are used to perform work or to train for work.

Conflict with Part 22

22.3     This Part prevails if there is any conflict between this Part and any of the following:

(a)    another Part of these regulations except Part 2: Occupational Health;

(b)    a code of practice.

Manufacturer’s specifications and standards for rope access and equipment

22.4     An equivalent CSA standard may be substituted for an ANSI or CEN standard required by this Part.

Code of practice must be adopted for rope access work

22.5     (1)  An employer must ensure that work is not conducted using rope access unless the employer has adopted 1 of the following as a code of practice for the work:

(a)    the International Code of Practice as modified by this Part;

(b)    a written safe-work procedure under subsection (2) that is approved in writing by the Director and provides for an adequate level of safety.

(2)  A written safe-work procedure adopted for the purposes of clause (1)(b) must be based on a hazard assessment of the work typically performed by the employer and must include all of the following:

(a)    the type and scope of hazard assessment that will be undertaken to identify potential hazards, including how it will be conducted;

(b)    appropriate methods that will be used for controlling and eliminating typical hazards;

(c)    the training a rope access technician will receive before beginning rope access work and how the training ensures the rope access technician is competent to conduct the work;

(d)    how the rope access system and other equipment, including personal protective equipment, will be selected to ensure it is appropriate for its intended application;

(e)    how selected equipment will be maintained and inspected;

(f)     the name of a competent person or persons who will supervise the work area and the qualifications that make them competent to supervise the work;

(g)    the process to be followed in establishing a rope access safe-work plan in accordance with Section 22.9, including any consultation to be undertaken in developing the plan;

(h)    the processes that will be put in place for

(i)   rescue operations and other emergencies, including the equipment and personnel that will be available, and

 (ii)  protecting third parties.

Application of International Code of Practice

22.6     (1)  In the International Code of Practice,

(a)    “should” must be read as expressing a mandatory requirement that must be satisfied in order to comply with the Code;

(b)    “work site” has the same meaning as “work area” as defined in Part 1: Interpretation and Application.

(2)  Subject to subsection (3), an employer who adopts the International Code of Practice as their code of practice must comply with the Code in accordance with subsection (1) unless a requirement in the Code is specifically imposed on another party, in which case that party must comply with the requirement.

(3)  Unless otherwise specified in this Part, the following provisions of the International Code of Practice do not apply to an employer who adopts the Code as their code of practice:

(a)    Section 2.3: “Selection of Rope Access Technicians”;

(b)    Section 2.7.1.3: “Standards”;

(c)    Part 3: “Informative Annexes”;

(d)    Part 4: “Legislation”;

(e)    Part 5: “Bibliography, further reading and useful addresses”.

Work restricted to rope access technicians

22.7     An employer must ensure that only rope access technicians engage in rope access work at a workplace.

Rope access technician must be competent person

22.8     (1)  An employer must ensure that a rope access technician engaged in rope access work is a competent person for the intended activity in accordance with the employer’s code of practice.

(2)  An employer must keep a record that documents how a rope access technician qualifies as a competent person under the regulations, and must ensure a copy of the record is available at the workplace at all times.

Rope access safe-work plan required in work areas with risk of fall

22.9     (1)  Except as provided in Section 1.16 for an emergency services agency, if a rope access technician is at risk of falling from any height in a specific work area, an employer must develop a specific written rope access safe-work plan for the work area.

(2)  A rope access safe-work plan must be based on a hazard assessment of the specific work area and must include all of the following information:

(a)    a list of the potential hazards associated with the work to be performed and their associated risks;

(b)    how the hazards will be eliminated or controlled;

(c)    the rope access system to be used at the work area;

(d)    the procedures to be used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use and disassemble the rope access system;

(e)    a list of persons who will be working in the work area, including each person’s name and their duties;

(f)     the appropriate personal protective equipment to be used to perform the work;

(g)    an emergency response plan, including rescue operations, to be followed at the work area;

Clause (g) moved to correct place in alphabetical order for the purposes of this consolidation.

(h)    an access and rigging plan for how to rig the ropes and gain access to the work position.

Clause (h) moved to correct place in alphabetical order for the purposes of this consolidation.

Rope access technician must keep logbook

22.10   (1)  A rope access technician must keep a hard copy logbook that meets all of the following criteria:

(a)    it has the name of the rope access technician written on it;

(b)    it is permanently bound;

(c)    it has consecutively numbered pages.

(2)  A rope access technician must keep their logbook at a work area at all times when they are at the work area.

(3)  A rope access technician must make and sign an entry in their logbook as soon as reasonably practicable after doing rope access work and before leaving a work area.

(4)  Each entry in a rope access technician’s logbook must include all of the following information:

(a)    the date of the work;

(b)    the geographic location of the work;

(c)    the name of their employer;

(d)    the name of the supervisor for the work;

(e)    the type of rope access equipment used;

(f)     the time the work began;

(g)    the duration of the work;

(h)    the type of work performed;

(i)     any accident, near miss or unusual incident that occurred and has the potential to affect health or safety;

(j)     any factors that they consider relevant to their health or safety.

(5)  A rope access technician must keep their logbook for at least 2 years after the date of the last entry in the logbook.

(6)  An employer must ensure a rope access technician keeps a logbook in accordance with this Section.

Equipment must comply with code of practice or standards

22.11   An employer must ensure that equipment used in rope access is designed, installed, maintained and used in accordance with standards referenced in their code of practice or in accordance with the following standards that apply to the equipment being used:

(a)    the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.1, “Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint”;

(b)    the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.10, “Full Body Harnesses”;

(c)    the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.11, “Energy Absorbers and Lanyards”;

(d)    the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.12, “Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)”;

(e)    CEN standard EN 567: 1997, “Mountaineering Equipment – Rope clamps – Safety requirements and test methods”;

(f)     CEN standard EN 353-2:2002, “Personal protective equipment against falls from height – Part 2: Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line”;

(g)    CEN standard EN 341: 1997, “Personal protective equipment against falls from height – Descender devices”.

Standards for ropes used in rope access system

22.12   (1)  An employer must ensure that low stretch or static rope used in a rope access system is a Type A rope classified and approved by CEN standard EN 1892: 1998, “Personal protective equipment for the prevention of falls from a height – low stretch Kernmantel ropes”.

(2)  An employer must ensure that high stretch or dynamic rope used in a rope access system is approved to CEN Standard EN 892: 2004, Mountaineering equipment – Dynamic mountaineering ropes – Safety requirements and test methods”.

Compatible components of rope access system

22.13   An employer must ensure that each component of a rope access system is compatible with all of the following, as indicated in the manufacturer’s specifications and instructions for use of their equipment:

(a)    each other component, and that the safe function of any component does not interfere with the safe function of another component;

(b)    the work conditions and conditions of the physical environment under which the equipment is to be used.

Anchorages in rope access system

22.14   An employer must ensure that all anchorages used as a component of a rope access system are capable of withstanding the following forces in any direction in which the force may be applied:

(a)    22 kN, for non-engineered anchorage;

(b)    2 times the maximum arresting force anticipated, for an engineered anchorage.

Protective headwear

22.15   (1)  An employer must ensure that a rope access technician wears protective headwear whenever there is a foreseeable danger of injury to the rope access technician’s head while performing rope access work.

(2)  Protective headwear required by subsection (1) must be appropriate to the hazards and must meet the requirements of at least 1 of the following:

(a)    the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z94.1, “Industrial Protective Headwear”;

(b)    the latest version of ANSI standard ANSI Z89.1, “American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection”;

(c)    CEN standard EN 12492, “Mountaineering equipment – Helmets for mountaineers – Safety requirements and test methods”.

(3)  A rope access technician must wear protective headwear in accordance with this Section.

Working lines and safety lines

22.16   (1)  An employer must ensure that working lines and safety lines used in a rope access system meet all of the following conditions:

(a)    the working line and safety line of the system must be the same diameter;

(b)    a safety, secondary, belay or backup line of the system must be used when the working line is the primary means of support;

(c)    the working line and safety line of the system must each be provided with a separate anchorage connection and be separately fixed to the rope access technician’s harness.

(2)  Clauses (1)(a) and (b) do not prohibit both the working line and safety line from being attached to a single harness attachment point.

(3)  A rope access technician may connect the safety line to the sternal or frontal attachment point of the rope access technician’s full-body harness in accordance with the harness manufacturer’s specifications.

Part 23 - Scaffolds and other Elevated Work Platforms

23.1     In this Part,

“boatswain’s chair” means a simple body support device used for work positioning that typically incorporates a rigid seat and a suspension bridle and is suspended from an anchorage;

“bracket scaffold” means a scaffold consisting of a work-platform that is supported by metal brackets and attached to a structural wall but does not include a side bracket or end bracket;

“crane-supported work-platform” means a work-platform suspended from the cable of a hoist or crane, or attached directly to the boom of a crane by mechanical fasteners;

“elevating work-platform” means a type of integral chassis aerial platform that has an adjustable position platform that is supported from ground level;

“ITSDF” means the Industrial Truck Standards Development Foundation;

“ladderjack scaffold” means a scaffold erected by means of attaching 1 or more brackets to 1 or more ladders to support a work-platform;

“lift truck” means a lift truck as defined in the latest version of ANSI standard ANSI/ITSDF B56.1, “Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks”;

“lift truck work-platform” means a work-platform designed to be mounted on a high lift truck, or other elevating device, to provide a safe-working area for a person elevated by and working from the platform’s surface;

“pumpjack scaffold” means a scaffold consisting of a work-platform supported by vertical poles and adjustable support brackets;

“rolling scaffold” means an assembled scaffold

(i)   supported by wheels, and

(ii)  moved manually,

“scaffold” means a temporary elevated or hanging platform and its structural members that are used to support persons and materials, or both;

“standard”, in relation to a component of access scaffolding equipment, means a vertical scaffold member that supports the weight of a scaffold;

“suspended platform” means an access system that meets all of the following criteria, and includes but is not limited to permanently installed suspended equipment, temporary suspended equipment, a boatswain’s chair, stages running on an incline and suspended work cages:

(i)   it is suspended from overhead and arranged for hoisting, and may traverse the exterior or interior side of a building or structure, and

(ii)  it consists of a platform and means of suspension, lateral restraint, hoisting and anchoring;

“transom”, in relation to a component of access scaffolding equipment, means a horizontal scaffold member capable of supporting a platform or a lifting beam;

“work-platform” means a temporary horizontal working surface that provides access and support for a person at the workplace.

Engineer’s certification of scaffolding

23.2     In addition to any certification required under Section 1.11, an employer must ensure that the design and installation of a scaffold used in a workplace are certified by an engineer if

(a)    required by the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffold”; or

(b)    the scaffold is a wooden scaffold that is taller than 10 m high measured from the height of the highest work-platform.

Standards for scaffolds

23.3     (1)  An employer must ensure that a scaffold that is required to safely perform work is erected, installed, assembled, used, handled, stored, adjusted, maintained, repaired, inspected or dismantled in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffold”.

(2)  An employer must ensure that a scaffold is

(a)    designed to support and capable of holding at least 4 times the load that is likely to be on it; and

(b)    not used for a load that is heavier than 25% of the load that it is designed for.

Scaffolding equipment prohibited

23.4     A person must not use, and an employer must ensure a person does not use, any of the following equipment at a workplace:

(a)    wooden pumpjack scaffold poles;

(b)    wooden carpenter’s brackets;

(c)    ladderjack scaffolds.

Pumpjack scaffolds

23.5     (1)  An employer must ensure that any pumpjack scaffold system used is metal.

(2)  A pumpjack scaffold must be installed and used so that all of the following conditions are met:

(a)    the load on the pumpjack scaffold is less than 122 kg per square metre (25 lbs. per square foot) and no more than 2 persons are between supporting poles at a time;

(b)    the height of the scaffold is no higher than 13.7 m;

(c)    unless otherwise specified in the manufacturer’s specifications, it has bracing every 4.6 m, starting at the base of the scaffold.

(3)  A person must use pumpjack scaffolds in accordance with this Section.

Bracket scaffolds

23.6     (1)  An employer must ensure that a bracket scaffold meets all of the following conditions:

(a)    brackets on a bracket scaffold must be spaced no more than 3 m apart;

(b)    a loaded bracket scaffold must be securely attached to a structural wall that is able to withstand the force applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications by

(i)   bolting the bracket scaffold to the wall, or

(ii)  welding the bracket scaffold to steel structures attached to the wall;

(c)    a bracket scaffold must be capable of supporting at least 4 times the load that is likely to be on it.

(2)  A person must use bracket scaffolds in accordance with subsection (1).

Roofing brackets

23.7     (1)  An employer must ensure roofing brackets meet all of the following conditions:

(a)    they must be securely fastened to the roof;

(b)    they must have a span of no greater than 3 m;

(c)    they must be capable of supporting at least 4 times the load that is likely to be on them.

(2)  A person must use roof brackets in accordance with subsection (1).

Safe-use practices for scaffolds

23.8     An employer must ensure compliance with the safe-use practices for scaffolds set out in the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffold”, including the falling object protection precautions if there is danger of objects falling from the scaffold and striking a person below.

Inspections of scaffolds

23.9     (1)  An employer must ensure that a scaffold used at a workplace is inspected daily by a competent person or engineer.

(2)  The results of any inspection of a scaffold must be communicated to the users by methods described in the latest version of the CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffold”.

Materials to be used in scaffold work-platforms

23.10   (1)  Except as otherwise provided in these regulations, an employer must ensure that materials to be used in a work-platform as part of a scaffold comply with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffold”.

(2)  If sawn lumber is used for scaffold planks, an employer must ensure that it meets 1 of the following specifications:

(a)    the planks are No. 1 grade or Select Structural Spruce-Pine-Fir (S-P-F) grade and sized 51 mm thick and 254 mm wide;

(b)    the planks are No. 2 grade or better and sized no smaller than 38 mm thick and 235 mm wide rough sawn lumber, and are doubled up and fastened one on top of the other.

(3)  An employer must ensure that material used as scaffold planks, other than sawn lumber, complies with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z797, “Code of Practice for Access Scaffold”.

Suspended work-platforms

23.11   (1)  An employer must ensure that a suspended work-platform is

(a)    inspected and operated in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z91, “Health and Safety Code for Suspended Equipment Operations”; and

(b)    designed, constructed, installed, maintained, and inspected in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z271, “Safety Code for Suspended Platforms”.

(2)  If there is danger of objects falling from the scaffold and striking a person below, an employer must ensure that falling object protection precautions are taken in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z271, “Safety Code of Suspended Platforms”.

(3)  If a suspended work-platform is out of level by greater than 10%, an employer must ensure that

(a)    no work is conducted on the platform; and

(b)    the platform is moved only to adjust it to level.

Lift truck work-platform

23.12   (1)  An employer must ensure that a lift truck work-platform is designed, maintained, inspected and operated in accordance with the latest version of ANSI standard ANSI/ITSDF B56.1, “Safety Standard for Low Lift and High Lift Trucks”.

(2)  While a person is on a lift truck work-platform, the lift truck used to lift a person must be operated only under the following conditions:

(a)    it must be operated by a competent person who must be continuously at the controls;

(b)    it must not be moved laterally over large distances;

(c)    it or the platform may be moved slowly to make minor adjustments only.

Elevating work-platforms

23.13   (1)  An employer must ensure that portable, self-propelled and self-propelled boom-supported elevating work-platforms are designed, constructed, erected, maintained, inspected, monitored and used in accordance with the latest version of the following applicable standards:

(a)    CSA standard CSA B354.1, “Portable Elevating Work Platforms”;

(b)    CSA standard CSA B354.2, “Self-Propelled Elevating Work Platforms”;

(c)    CSA standard CSA B354.4, “Self-Propelled, Boom-Supported Elevating Work Platforms”;

(d)    CSA standard CSA C225, “Vehicle Mounted Aerial Devices”.

(2)  An employer must ensure that elevating work-platforms used for fire-fighting are designed, constructed, erected, maintained, inspected, monitored and used in accordance with the latest version of the following applicable standards:

(a)    NFPA standard NFPA 1901, “Standard for Automotive Fire Apparatus”;

(b)    NFPA standard NFPA 1911, “Standard for the Inspection, Maintenance, Testing and Retirement of In Service Automotive Fire Apparatus”.

(3)  An employer must ensure that a record of inspections, tests, repairs, modifications and maintenance activities required by the applicable standards in subsections (1) and (2) includes the name and signature of the person or persons who performed the required activities.

(4)  Whether or not guardrails are also installed, before operating the equipment in subsection (1) or (2), an employer must ensure, in accordance with Part 21: Fall Protection, that fall-arrest equipment is worn and anchored to a suitable anchorage.

Crane-supported work-platforms

23.14   (1)  An employer must ensure that a crane-supported work-platform is designed, maintained, inspected and used in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z150, “Safety Code on Mobile Cranes”.

(2)  An operator of a crane or hoist used to suspend a work-platform must have an effective means of constant communication with a person on the platform.

Mast-climbing work-platforms

23.15   An employer must ensure that a mast-climbing work-platform is designed, constructed, erected, maintained, inspected and used in accordance with the latest version of CSA standard CSA B354.5, “Mast-climbing work platforms”.

Lifting persons in certain equipment prohibited

23.16   Except as expressly permitted in these regulations or in some other enactment, a person must not be lifted or held aloft in equipment that is not specifically designed for that purpose, including loader buckets or backhoes.

 

Under the Building Code Act, 1992

O. Reg. 332/12: Building Code 

4.4.4.1. Anchor Systems on Building Exterior

(1) Where suspended maintenance and window cleaning operations are intended to be carried out on the exterior of a building described in Article 1.1.2.2. of Division A, anchor systems shall be provided where any portion of the roof is more than 8 m above adjacent ground level.

(2) Except as provided in Sentence (3), the anchor systems in Sentence (1) shall be designed, installed and tested in conformance with CAN/CSA-Z91, “Health and Safety Code for Suspended Equipment Operations”.

(3) Other anchor systems may be used where such systems provide an equal level of safety.

(4) The anchor system material shall be made of stainless steel, or other corrosion resistant base material, or from steel that is hot dipped galvanised, in accordance with CAN/CSA-G164-M, “Hot Dip Galvanising of Irregularly Shaped Articles”.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

O. Reg. 213/91: Construction Projects

Part II - General Construction

• Protective Clothing, Equipment and Devices (Section 26)

26. Sections 26.1 to 26.9 apply where a worker may be exposed to any of the following hazards:

1. Falling more than 3 metres.

2. Falling more than 1.2 metres, if the work area is used as a path for a wheelbarrow or similar equipment.

3. Falling into operating machinery.

4. Falling into water or another liquid.

5. Falling into or onto a hazardous substance or object.

6. Falling through an opening on a work surface. O. Reg. 145/00, s. 12; O. Reg. 85/04, s. 4; O. Reg. 345/15, s. 4.

26.1 (1) A worker shall be adequately protected by a guardrail system that meets the requirements of subsections 26.3 (2) to (8). O. Reg. 145/00, s. 12.

(2) Despite subsection (1), if it is not practicable to install a guardrail system as that subsection requires, a worker shall be adequately protected by the highest ranked method that is practicable from the following ranking of fall protection methods:

1. A travel restraint system that meets the requirements of section 26.4.

2. A fall restricting system that meets the requirements of section 26.5.

3. A fall arrest system, other than a fall restricting system designed for use in wood pole climbing, that meets the requirements of section 26.6.

4. A safety net that meets the requirements of section 26.8. O. Reg. 145/00, s. 12; O. Reg. 85/04, s. 5 (1); O. Reg. 345/15, s. 5 (1).

(3) The components of any system listed in subsection (2) shall be designed by a professional engineer in accordance with good engineering practice, and shall meet the requirements of any of the following National Standards of Canada standards that are applicable:

1. CAN/CSA-Z259.1-05: Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint.

2. CAN/CSA-Z259.2.5-12: Fall Arresters and Vertical Lifelines.

3. CAN/CSA-Z259.2.2-98 (R2004): Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall-Arrest Systems.

4. CAN/CSA-Z259.2.3-99 (R2004): Descent Control Devices.

5. CAN/CSA-Z259.10-06: Full Body Harnesses.

6. CAN/CSA-Z259.11-05: Energy Absorbers and Lanyards.

7. CAN/CSA-Z259.12-01 (R2006): Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS).

8. CAN/CSA-Z259.14-01 (R2007): Fall Restrict Equipment for Wood Pole Climbing. O. Reg. 85/04, s. 5 (2); O. Reg. 443/09, s. 1; O. Reg. 345/15, s. 5 (2).

(4) Before any use of a fall arrest system or a safety net by a worker at a project, the worker’s employer shall develop written procedures for rescuing the worker after his or her fall has been arrested. O. Reg. 145/00, s. 12.

• Access at Heights (Section 125)

125. (1) Where work cannot be done on or from the ground or from a building or other permanent structure without hazard to workers, a worker shall be provided with a scaffold, a suspended work platform, a boatswain’s chair or a multi-point suspended work platform that meets the requirements of this Regulation. O. Reg. 242/16, s. 9.

(2) A worker who is on or under a scaffold, a suspended work platform system or a multi-point suspended work platform while it is being erected, altered or dismantled shall be on a part of the scaffold, suspended work platform system or multi-point suspended work platform that meets the requirements of this Regulation. O. Reg. 242/16, s. 9.

• Suspended Work Platforms and Boatswain's Chairs (Sections: 126-136.0.1)

R.R.O 1990, Reg. 851: Industrial Establishments 

85. Where a worker is exposed to the hazard of falling and the surface to which he or she might fall is more than three metres below the position where he or she is situated,

(a) the worker shall wear a serviceable safety belt or harness and lifeline that is adequately secured to a fixed support and so arranged that the worker cannot fall freely for a vertical distance of more than 1.5 metres; and

(b) the fall arrest system described in clause (a) shall,

(i) have sufficient capacity to absorb twice the energy and twice the load that under the circumstances of its use may be transmitted to it, and

(ii) be equipped with a shock absorber or other devices to limit the maximum arresting force to 8.0 kilonewtons to the worker.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851, s. 85; O. Reg. 420/10, s. 14.

• Fixed Access Ladders: Engineering Data Sheet 2 - 04

3.4 Safety Cages: With an elevated access, a cage shall be provided where the top of the ladder is greater than 5 metres above ground level, roof or floor and where there is a danger of a worker falling from the ladder to the ground level, roof or floor, even if the length of the climb is less than 5 metres. (See Fig. 3 and 4. and also clause 18(1)(d) of Reg. 851)

R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 859: Window Cleaning 

Duties of the Owner of a Building

39. (1) Every owner of a building where a suspended scaffold, boatswain’s chair or similar single-point suspension equipment is to be used for window cleaning shall prepare a sketch or sketches showing all anchor points and related structures on the building that are suitable and adequate for the attachment of the suspended scaffold, boatswain’s chair or similar single-point suspension equipment and the lifeline.

(2) The building owner shall provide a copy of the sketch or sketches mentioned in subsection (1) to the person supplying the window cleaning services before the work is begun and no employer may permit a worker to engage in window cleaning using a suspended scaffold, boatswain’s chair or similar single-point suspension equipment until the employer has received a copy of the sketch or sketches.

(3) The building owner shall post a copy of the sketch or sketches mentioned in subsection (1) at the building near the entrance to the roof.  R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 859, s. 39.

• Window Cleaning: Guideline for the Design, Installation, and Use of Fall Arrest Anchor Points, Tie-Back Anchor Points and Primary Support for Suspended Equipment Systems 
• Alert: Davit Arm System Failure 

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act

• Fall Protection Regulations
• General Regulations - Part 23.7 Fixed Ladders
• Scaffolding Regulations

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Regulation Respecting Occupational Health and Safety 

• Division III- Establishment Conditions
  • Section 23 - Permanent Ladders
  • Section 31.1 - Suspended Scaffolding
• Division III.1 - Protection Against Falls 
  • Section 33.1  - Cases where workers must be protected: Workers shall be protected against falls in the following cases: (1) if they are at risk of falling more than 3 m unless they are only using a means of access or exit;
• Division XXX - Means and Equipment for Individual and Group Protection
  • Section 347 - Full Body Harness
  • Section 348 - Fall Arrest Connecting Device
  • Section 349 - Securing to an Anchorage System
  • Section 349.1 - Anchorage System

Safety Code for the Construction Industry 

• Subsection: 2.9 - Fall Protection
  • 2.9.1. Safety Measures: Workers Shall be protected against falls in the following cases: (1) if they are at risk of falling 3 m from the place where he is working;
  • In such cases....one of several of the following measures shall be taken by the employer to ensure the safety of workers: (4) ensure that workers wear safety harnesses secured to an anchorage system by a fall arrest connecting
    device, the whole in accordance with sections 2.10.12 and 2.10.15 when they are working. When workers cannot position themselves without the help of their fall arrest  connecting device, ensure that they also use a means of positioning, such as a plank on rackets, a positioning tether or strap, a suspension cable or a platform;
• Subsection: 3.9.16. - Suspended Scaffolding
  • (1)(d) be used with a safety harness secured by a fall arrest connecting device to an anchorage system, the whole in accordance with sections 2.10.12 and 2.10.15. However, when the suspended scaffolding is hung from 4 hoisting cables, the anchorage system may be installed on the platform. Where a rope grab fastened to a vertical life line is used, it must be a Class ADP rope grab.
• Subsection 3.9.17. - Boatswains Chair
  • (4) A worker in a boatswain’s chair must wear a safety harness secured by a fall arrest connecting device to an anchorage system, the whole in accordance with sections 2.10.12 and 2.10.15. Where a rope grab fastened to a vertical life line is used, it must be a Class ADP rope grab.

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations - Saskatchewan Regulation O-1.1 Reg 1 (1996)

Part I - Preliminary Matters

• Section 2 - Interpretation

2(1) In these regulations and in all other regulations made pursuant to the Act:

(kk) “lifeline” means a length of rope or strap that is attached to a safe point of anchorage at one end or, in the case of a horizontal lifeline, at both ends to provide support and a guide or a personal fall arrest system or personnel lowering device;

(qq.2) “personal fall arrest system” means personal protective equipment that provides a means of safely arresting the fall of a worker and that, subsequent to the arrest of the fall, does not by itself permit the further release or lowering of the worker;

Part VII - Personal Protective Equipment 

• Section 101: Lifelines

101(1) Unless otherwise specifically provided, an employer, contractor or owner shall ensure that a lifeline:

(f) is fastened to a secure anchor point that:

(i) has a breaking strength of at least 22.2 kilonewtons; and

(ii) is not used to suspend any platform or other load;

• Section 102: Personal Fall Arrest Systems

102(2) An employer or contractor shall ensure that a personal fall arrest system required by these regulations:

(a) prevents a worker from falling more than 1.2 metres without a shock absorber;

(b) where a shock absorber is used, prevents a worker from falling more than two metres or the limit  specified in the  manufacturer’s specifications, whichever is less;

(c) applies a peak fall-arrest force not greater than eight kilonewtons to a worker; and

(d) is fastened to a lifeline or to a secure anchor point that has a breaking strength of at least 22.2 kilonewtons.

• Section 103: Full-body Harness

103 (f) the connecting  linkage is attached to a personal fall arrest system, lifeline or secure anchor point to prevent the worker from falling more than 1.2 metres.

• Section 104: Snap hooks on personal fall arrest system
• Section 105: Lanyards
• Section 106: Workers' responsibilities [regarding] lifelines, etc...

106 (3) Before using a full-body harness, a worker shall ensure that the full-body
harness:

(a) is properly adjusted to fit the worker securely; and

(b) subject to subsection 274(5), is attached by means of a connecting linkage
to a fixed anchor or a lifeline.

(4) A worker who uses a full-body harness and connecting linkage shall ensure that the connecting linkage is attached to a personal fall arrest system, lifeline or a fixed anchor.

• Section 107: Inspection of full body Harness, etc.

Part IX - Safeguards, Storage, Warning Signs and Signals

• Section 116 - Protection against Falling

116(1) In this section and sections 116.1 to 116.3:

(a) “anchor point” or “anchor plate” means a secure connecting point capable of safely withstanding the impact forces supplied by a fall protection system;

(b) “control zone” means the area within two metres of an unguarded edge of a level, elevated work surface of three metres or more in height;

(c) “fall protection system” means:

(i) a control zone as required pursuant to section 116.2;

(ii) a personal fall arrest system;

(iii) a safety net; or

(iv) a travel restraint system;

(2) An employer or contractor shall ensure that workers use a fall protection system at a temporary or permanent work area where:

(a) a worker may fall three metres or more; or

• Subsection 116.1 - Fall Protection Plan
• Subsection 116.2 - Control Zone
• Subsection 116.3 - Anchor Points and Anchor Plates

116.3 (5) An employer, contractor, owner or supplier shall ensure that the following
types of equipment that are components of fall protection systems, and their installation, conform to the manufacturer’s  specifications or are certified by a professional engineer:

(a) permanent anchor points;

(b) anchors with multiple attachment points;

(c) permanent horizontal lifeline systems;

(d) support structures for safety nets.

Part XII - Scaffolds, Aerial Devices, Elevating Work Platforms and Temporary Supporting Structures 

• Section 168: Interpretation

168 (x) “suspended powered scaffold” means a platform that is suspended from overhead supports by ropes or cables and equipped with winches or pulley blocks so that the scaffold can be moved, and includes a boatswain’s chair, work basket, work cage, swingstage or other similar scaffold;

• Section 184: Suspended Powered Scaffolds

184 (2) An employer, contractor or owner shall ensure that:

(a) where a parapet is part of the support structure of a suspended powered scaffold, the parapet can withstand  the force of the load; and

(b) the anchor points for the suspension system are secure and can safely withstand the load.

184 (7) An employer, contractor or owner shall ensure that a lifeline used with a suspended powered scaffold is:

(a) suspended independently from the scaffold; and

(b) securely attached to a fixed anchor point so that the failure of the scaffold will not cause the lifeline to fail.

• Section 185: Tie-in Guides

185(1) On and after July 1, 1997, an owner shall ensure that a new  structure that will be serviced by a suspended powered scaffold is constructed with:

(a) fixed anchor points that will safely support the scaffold and lifelines; and

(b) tie-in guides to provide a positive means of engagement between the suspended part of the equipment and the structure during the full vertical or inclined travel of the scaffold on the face of the structure.

• Section 186: Use of Suspended Powered Scaffolds

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act 

Northwest Territories -  Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

• Part 7 - Personal Protective Equipment
  • Section: 103 - Lifelines
  • Section 104 - Personal Fall Arrest System
• Part 12 - Scaffolds, Aerial Devices, Elevating Work Platforms, and Temporary Supporting Structures
  • Section 191: Suspended Scaffolds
  • Section 192: Suspended Powered Scaffolds
  • Section 193: Tie-In Guides
  • Section 194: Use of Suspended Powered Scaffolds
• Part 16 - Entrances, Exits and Ladders
  • 261 - Fixed Ladders

under the Occupational Health and Safety Act  

Occupational Health and Safety Regulation O.I.C. 2006/178

Part 1 - General

• Protective Equipment and Clothing - Fall Arrest

1.37 Where it is not practical to protect a worker with guards, guardrails, safety nets, or other devices, the worker shall be provided with and required to use the appropriate fall arrest protection

(a) when working at a place from which a fall of

i. 3 m (10 ft.) or more may occur, or

ii. less than 3 m (10 ft.), if it involves an unusual risk of injury,

(b) where there is a possibility of falling into a pit, shaft, machinery, water, or bulk material that could shift,

(c) when climbing or descending from utility poles, communication, and transmission towers, or single point suspension equipment,

(d) when working on a swing stage or thrust out scaffold, elevating a work platform or basket suspended platform or cage,

(e) when barring or scaling loose material from a wall in an open pit or an earthwork, or

(f) when working on a roof

i. having a slope of 2 vertical to 3 horizontal or steeper, or

ii. where the surface is slippery.

• Fall Protection Program 

1.38 Where work is  performed at a location not protected by permanent guardrails and from which a fall of 7.5 m (25 ft.) or more may occur, a written fall protection plan shall be in place and communicated to workers with adequate consideration and description of

(a) falling hazards expected,

(b) fall protection system or systems to be used,

(c) the procedure to assemble, maintain, inspect, use, and disassemble the fall
protection system or systems, and

(d) methods to rescue a fallen worker or one who is suspended by a personal
fall protection system or safety net and is unable to effect self-rescue.

• Components 

1.39 A worker shall

(a) when using a personal protection system for fall arrest, wear a full-body
harness or other such acceptable harness or device which meets the requirements of CSA Standard Z259.10-M90, Full Body Harness, or other similar standard acceptable to the Director,

(b) when using a personal protection system for fall arrest, wear an energy
absorbing system which meets the requirements of CSA Standard Z259.11-
05, Energy Absorbers and Lanyards or other similar standard acceptable to
the Director, and

(c) when using a personal protection system for fall restraint, wear a safety belt,
a full body harness or other such acceptable harness or device and lanyard
which meets CSA Standard Z259.1-95, Safety Belts and Lanyards, or other
similar standard acceptable to the Director.

• Vertical Lifelines 

1.40 A vertical lifeline shall meet the requirements of CSA Standard Z259.2.1-98, Fall Arresters, Vertical Lifelines and Rails, or other similar standard acceptable to the Director, and it shall be

(a) secured independently to an anchor with adequate strength,

(b) padded or protected at points of attachment and everywhere else the
lifelines may come in contact with sharp or abrasive edges,

(c) used to protect only one worker per line,

(d) first grade, three strand, hawser laid manila rope of not less than 0.019 m
(3/4 in.), having a breaking strength of not less than 24 kN (5400 lbs.), or
synthetic or wire rope of at least equal strength,

(e) wire rope or wire-cored manila rope when there is a possibility of the line
being cut, burned, or other quick severing incidence,

(f) non-conductive and used in duplicate (two lines per worker), where workers
are using the lifelines in the proximity of an energized electrical line,

(g) less than 90 m (300 ft.) in length, and

(h) extended to within 3 m (10 ft.) of the ground or other safe landing.

• Horizontal Lifeline Usage

1.41 Where a horizontal lifeline is used as a temporary system of fall restraint, it shall

(a) be designed to provide an ultimate load capacity of at least 3.5 kN (800 lbs.)
for each worker connected to it, and

(b) be either certified by a professional engineer as meeting the requirements
of a permanent system as outlined in section 1.42, or

(c) meet the following requirements:

i. the horizontal lifeline shall be a minimum of 0.012 m (1/2 in.) diameter wire rope with a breaking strength of at least 89 kN (20,000 lbs.),

ii. the horizontal lifeline shall be free of splices except at the terminations,

iii. all connecting hardware and end anchors shall have ultimate load capacity of at least 71 kN (16,000 lbs.),

iv. the lifeline shall span at least 6 m (20 ft.) and not more than 18 m (60ft.),

v. the unloaded sag in the lifeline shall be approximately equal to the span length divided by 60, with a minimum elevation of 1 m (39 in.) above the work surface,

vi. any free fall distance shall be limited to 1.2 m (4 ft.),

vii. a minimum of 3.5 m (12 ft.) of unobstructed clearance shall be available below the working surface,

viii. no more than three workers shall be secured to a horizontal lifeline and

ix. the lifeline shall be positioned so it does not impede the safe movement of a worker.

• Horizontal Lifeline Design

1.42 A permanent horizontal lifeline shall be designed by a professional engineer, who shall provide the workplace with signed and dated drawings and instructions for the lifeline system, indicating

(a) the layout in plan and elevation, including anchor locations, installation specifications, anchor design and detailing,

(b) system specifications that include permissible free fall distance, clearance to obstructions below, and rope size, breaking strength, termination details, and initial sag or tension,

(c) the number of workers permitted to connect to the lifeline, and maximum arrest force for each worker, and

(d) written certification that the lifeline system has been installed in accordance with the design documents.

Part 10 - Construction and Building Safety 

• Roofing 

10.11 A worker shall be protected by the use of a fall restraint system, a fall arrest system, a control zone, or another system of fall protection acceptable to the director when a worker is engaged in any work on a roof that

(a) is 3 m (10 ft.) or more above the ground or other safe working level,

(b) has a slope of 2 vertical to 3 horizontal or steeper, or

(c) has an unguarded edge.

10.13 (1) Where a fall arrest system is used, it shall conform to the requirements of Part 1 – General.

(2) Where a fall restraint system is used, it shall be

(a) rigged to allow the movement of workers only as far as the edge of the roof, and

(b) attached to a secure anchor capable of supporting the loads that may be applied to it.

(3) Any fall restraint system shall be installed and used in conformance with CSA Standard Z259.1-05, Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint, or other similar standards acceptable to the director.

• Ladders - Fixed 

10.22 (1) Except for the provisions in subsection (2), fixed ladders shall meet the requirements of ANSI Standard A14.3-2002, Ladders – Fixed – Safety Requirements, or other similar standard acceptable to the director.

(2) A fixed ladder existing prior to the effective date of these Regulations and not meeting the requirements of the current or earlier edition of the ANSI Standard A14.3-2002, Ladders – Fixed – Safety Requirements, or other similar standard acceptable to the director, shall be inspected by a competent person to ensure it meets the requirements of subsection (1).

10.23 A fixed ladder shall

(a) be securely held in place at the top and bottom and at such intermediate points as required to prevent sway,

(b) have a clearance of at least 0.165 m (6 in.) maintained between the rungs and the structure to which the ladder is affixed,

(c) not have any rungs that extend above a landing, and

(d) have side rails or other secure handholds that extend at least 1 m (3 ft.) above the landing and spaced not less than 0.3 m (12 in.) apart.

10.24 A fixed ladder more than 5 m (16 ft.) in height shall

(a) be equipped with ladder cages or a safety device that is designed and constructed to lock and suspend a worker using the device if the worker loses hold of the ladder,

(b) have a rest platform at not more than 9 m (30 ft.) intervals, and be offset at each rest platform, and

• Scaffolds: Swing-stage

10.49 (5) Each worker on a swing-stage shall wear fall arrest equipment with the lanyard attached to a separate lifeline that is long enough to reach the ground.

(6) Life-lines for workers on a swing stage shall be tied to a part of the structure capable of supporting a load at least equal to that which the lifeline will support and shall be independent of the scaffold support structure.

10.50 (3) A swing-stage shall be suspended from parapet clamps, cornice hooks, thrust-out beams, or other solid anchorage points having at least the working load limit to that of the suspension system.

(9) A thrust-out used to suspend swing-staging shall

(a) be securely tied back to an adequate independent anchorage on the same level as the hook or above the hook, and

10.51 (1) Where supports other than thrust-outs are used to support swing-stage, a professional engineer shall certify that all the components and the system can adequately carry a load of at least four times the maximum working load, and the supports shall be tied back to the structure or part of the structure.

• Boatswain's Chairs 

10.52 (4) A worker on a boatswain’s chair shall wear fall arrest protection attached to an anchor separate from the chair.

under the Canada Labour Code 

Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations

Canada Regulation SOR/86-304

Fall-Protection Systems 

12.10 (1) Subject to subsection (1.1), every employer shall provide a fall-protection system to any person, other than an employee who is installing or removing a fall-protection system in accordance with the instructions referred to in subsection (5), who works

(a) from an unguarded structure or on a vehicle, at a height of more than 2.4 m above the nearest permanent safe level or above any moving parts of machinery or any other surface or thing that could cause injury to a person on contact;

(b) from a temporary structure at a height of more than 6 m above a permanent safe level; or

(c) from a ladder at a height of more than 2.4 m above the nearest permanent safe level where, because of the nature of the work, that person is unable to use at least one hand to hold onto the ladder.

(1.1) Where an employee is required to work on a vehicle on which it is not reasonably practicable to provide a fall-protection system, the employer shall

(a) in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative,

(i) perform a job safety analysis to eliminate or minimize the need for the employee to climb onto the vehicle or its load, and

(ii) provide every employee who is likely to climb onto the vehicle or its load with training and instruction on the safe method of climbing onto and working on the vehicle or its load;

(b) make a report in writing to the Minister setting out the reasons why it is not reasonably practicable to provide a fall-protection system and include the job safety analysis and a description of the training and instruction referred to in paragraph (a); and

(c) provide a copy of the report referred to in paragraph (b) to the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative.

(1.2) The job safety analysis, training and instruction referred to in paragraph (1.1)(a) shall be reviewed every two years in consultation with the policy committee or, if there is no policy committee, the work place committee or the health and safety representative.

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

(a) CSA Standard Z259.1-1976, Fall-Arresting Safety Belts and Lanyards for the Construction and Mining Industries, the English version of which is dated November, 1976, as amended to May, 1979 and the French version of which is dated April, 1980;

(b) CSA Standard Z259.2-M1979, Fall-Arresting Devices, Personnel Lowering Devices and Life Lines, the English version of which is dated November, 1979 and the French version of which is dated October, 1983; and

(c) CSA Standard Z259.3-M1978, Lineman’s Body Belt and Lineman’s Safety Strap, the English version of which is dated September, 1978, as amended to April, 1981 and the French version of which is dated April, 1980, as amended to April, 1981.

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

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

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

(5) Where an employee is about to install or remove a fall-protection system, the employer shall

(a) prepare written instructions for the safe installation or removal of the fall-protection system; and

(b) keep a copy of the instructions readily available for the information of the employee.

Note: according to the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety the following legislation applies to workers under OH&S jurisdiction of the Federal Government. These workplaces include: 

• airports and airlines
• banks
• canals
• exploration and development of petroleum on lands subject to federal jurisdiction
• ferries, port services, tunnels and bridges
• grain elevators licensed by the Canadian Grain Commission, and certain feed mills and feed warehouses, flour mills and grain seed cleaning plants;
• highway transport
• many First Nations activities
• pipelines
• radio and television broadcasting and cable systems
• railways
• shipping and shipping services
• telephone and telegraph systems
• uranium mining and processing

The remaining workers fall under the legislation of the province or territory where they work.

Preface

This is the sixth edition of CSA Z91, Health and safety code for suspended equipment operations. It supersedes the previous edition published in 2002 under the same title and the 1990, 1980, 1959, and 1949 editions published under the title Safety Code for Window Cleaning Operations. 

Key changes in this edition include 

a) updated requirements for davits
b) clarification of requirements for portable equipment 
c) updated training requirements
d) updated figures throughout the document to enhance readability
e) requirements for rigging over building guards (particularly glass railings)
f) inclusion of a new informative annex on the relationship between this Standard and rope access methods

Introduction

The purpose of this Standard is to provide basic occupational health and safety requirements for persons working from or occupying equipment, both permanently installed and temporary, suspended from buildings or structures. Such equipment includes, but is not limited to, suspended platforms, bosun’s chairs, stages running on inclines, and suspended work cages. It does not include elevating devices, platforms supported from the ground or building elevations, or equipment suspended from cranes or hoists. 

Although the roots of this Standard lie in the window cleaning trade, the Standard is intended to be applied to any other type of work activity using suspended equipment. In developing this Standard, the Technical Committee considered the needs of specific activities such as exterior building cleaning, painting, application of sealants and insulation, brickwork repointing, renovations, inspections, and related building/structure maintenance. This Standard may also be applied to non-traditional activities, such as observation or photography, that are occasionally carried out from suspended equipment. 

Although recommendations are made on appropriate equipment to use for various applications, provincial codes and regulations could have an added effect on the actual application to Canadian workplaces. The user is advised to seek this information in local codes, provincial labour regulations, and manufacturers’ information. 

Specific obligations and responsibilities contained in this Standard apply to equipment manufacturers, building/structure owners, building maintenance companies, independent contractors, operators of suspended equipment, and any person occupying suspended equipment. The criteria in this Standard are written in a way that will allow the Standard to be referenced in provincial regulations and municipal codes. 

Scope

1.1  This Standard includes requirements for the safe operation of various types of suspended equipment (see Figure 1) used to gain access to interior or exterior, or both, sides, ceilings and soffits of buildings or structures. Much of the equipment referred to in this Standard is designed, installed, inspected, and tested in accordance with CAN/CSA-Z271 and other referenced standards. This Standard does not apply to crane-suspended platforms or baskets (see CSA Z150), multi-point bridge platforms, or hanging scaffolds. 

Note: While this Standard is not intended to cover equipment design and building provisions, both CAN/CSA-Z271 and this Standard contain necessary information for design and operation of suspended equipment. 

1.2 This Standard specifies the safety requirements for suspended equipment that is normally used for, but whose use is not limited to, window cleaning, exterior building cleaning, painting, application of sealants and insulation, brickwork, repointing, renovations, inspection, and related building/structure maintenance. 

1.3 This Standard is not intended to prevent the development of new equipment or practices or to prescribe specifically how innovations should be handled. 

Notes: 
1) The use of practices, equipment, or safety devices that are different from those described in this Standard may be deemed to meet the requirements of this Standard, provided that it can be demonstrated to the satisfaction of the authority having jurisdiction, or the certification agency acting on its behalf, that these differences will not impair the suitability of the equipment or safety devices, or their intended use. 
2) Information on the relationship between rope access and the equipment covered in this Standard and CAN/CSA-Z271 can be found in Annex C. 

1.4 Where the requirements of this Standard are at variance with the requirements of other standards or codes referred to in this Standard, the requirements of this Standard take precedence. 

Note: Refer to applicable jurisdictional building codes for information relevant to requirements for installations on buildings. 

1.5 In this Standard, "shall" is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; "should" is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and "may" is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard. 

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material. 

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements. 

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (non-mandatory) to define their application. 

1.6 The values given in SI units are the units of record for the purposes of this Standard. The values given in parentheses are for information and comparison only.

This is the fourth edition of CSA Z271, Safety code for suspended platforms. It supersedes the previous editions published in 1998, 1984, and 1974.

Scope

1.1 This Standard specifies requirements for the design, construction, installation, inspection, testing, maintenance, alteration, and repair of suspended platforms.

1.2 This Standard applies to suspended platforms that are
(a) designed for the purpose of gaining access to exterior and interior surfaces of buildings and other structures;
(b) hoisted by mechanical, electrical, or manual power; and
(c) suspended from one, two, or multiple points.

1.3 This Standard does not address the requirements for the safe operation of suspended platforms, which is covered in CAN/CSA-Z91.

1.4 This Standard does not apply to the following equipment:
(a) portable and self-propelled elevating work platforms, which are covered in CAN/CSA-B354.1, CAN/CSA-B354.2, and CAN/CSA-B354.4;
(b) mast climbing work platforms, which are covered in CAN/CSA-B354.5;
(c) vehicle-mounted aerial devices, which are covered in CSA C225, ANSI/SIA A92.7, and ANSI/SIA A92.8;
(d) personnel platforms that are pinned or suspended from a crane boom, which are covered in CAN/CSA-Z150;
(e) access scaffold, which are covered in CAN/CSA-S269.2 and CSA Z797;
(f) construction hoists, which are covered in CAN/CSA-Z185 and CAN/CSA-Z256;
(g) elevators, which are covered in ASME 17.1/CSA B44;
(h) manlifts, which are covered in CAN/CSA-B311; and
(i) passenger ropeways, which are covered in CSA Z98.

1.5 In CSA standards, "shall" is used to express a requirement, i.e., a provision that the user is obliged to satisfy in order to comply with the standard; "should" is used to express a recommendation or that which is advised but not required; and "may" is used to express an option or that which is permissible within the limits of the standard.

Notes accompanying clauses do not include requirements or alternative requirements; the purpose of a note accompanying a clause is to separate from the text explanatory or informative material.

Notes to tables and figures are considered part of the table or figure and may be written as requirements.

Annexes are designated normative (mandatory) or informative (nonmandatory) to define their application.

1.6 The values given in SI (metric) units are the standard. Annex A provides approximate imperial equivalents to these values, which are given for information only.

Overview

Falls from heights are among the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths. Falls can not only occur from rooftops or scaling tall buildings, but can also occur from overhead platforms, elevated workstations, or even into holes in walls, floors or the ground. A fall protection system becomes a critical component of occupational health and safety (OHS) practices and procedures and it is mandatory for workers who are at risk of falling to have and make use of proper fall protection equipment. 

CSA Group’s Z259 series of standards help with the selection and proper use of current fall protection equipment - updated regularly in response to technological change and evolving safety concerns. It also tests and certifies fall protection equipment components to the applicable Z259 standards in Canada and the corresponding ANSI/ASME standards in the US. CSA Z259.16 is part of the CSA Z259 series and specifies requirements for the design and performance of complete active fall-protection systems, including travel-restraint and vertical and horizontal fall-arrest systems. First published in 2004, this second edition of the standard includes several critical updates and changes and is intended for engineers with expertise in designing fall-protection systems. 

CSA Group gratefully acknowledges the financial and in-kind support from the Canadian government departments responsible for occupational health and safety for the development of this edition.

Highlights of Z259.16
 

• Clarification of the scope
• Updated reference publications
• Updated definitions to reflect current usage and consistency in the CSA Z259 series of standards
• Revised clause on ballasted anchors
• Clarified design requirements that have been harmonized with the ANSI/ASSE Z359 series
• Updated commentary in Annex A