fall protection equipment on terrace

Equipment on Terraces

As architects continue to imagine and design complex projects; it is becoming increasingly common that fall arrest and tie-back equipment are located on terraces of buildings. As the condominium market is still as competitive as ever; builders and developers are coming up with special features and incentives to lure buyers.  Items like barbecues, bars, built in kitchens, gardens, lounges, hot tubs, …

engineering a complete anchor system part 1

Engineering a Complete Anchor System: Part 1

Fall arrest and tie-back anchors are primarily designed to protect workers from falls while working on or over the roof edge. While a clear understanding of codes, regulations, and standards is of the utmost importance; the first consideration (after safety of course) is function when designing proper window washing, suspended maintenance, and fall protection systems.  Often buildings will install a …

misconceptions in fall protection industry

Common Misconceptions Series – Part 1

I recently became aware of some very serious misconceptions within our industry and I thought that this would be a great platform to clear them up. One of the most frequent misconceptions that I hear is that “we need davits” for a building/project to complete window washing and suspended maintenance.  In certain situations this is definitely the case; however, they …

responsibilities of inspections department

The Inspections Department

The Inspections Department is an integral part of our company.  Fall arrest and tie-back anchors (for window washing systems and fall protection equipment) are required to be inspected annually in accordance with manufacturer’s recommendations and the Department/Ministry of Labour. Our mission in this Department is two-fold: To develop first hand experience and maintain an expert team of Inspectors in this highly …

preventing falls while working with heights

Working At Heights

Everyone is responsible for preventing falls when working at heights.  The building owner/property manager/owner’s representative, the self-employed contractor, any subcontractor and the worker are all responsible for safety considerations when on a roof. The concern for health and safety on a roof becomes critical as soon as someone steps foot on a roof (and not just when they “get close” to the edge).  All …

Graphic illustration showing how rooftop workers use tieback anchors for suspension as well as for horizontal lifeline systems

Basics of Fall Protection

Our industry is most commonly associated with window washing systems and suspended maintenance systems.  Because of this, fall protection (specifically on low-rise buildings) is often overlooked. Fall Arrest vs. Fall Restraint “Fall protection” is actually a term that encompasses the method of either “fall arrest” or “fall restraint”. Fall arrest prevents a person from reaching the ground (once a fall …

A female general contractor overseeing tieback anchor installation

Perception vs. Reality

The following is an email that was sent to me from our CEO, Marc Lebel.  I thought that it was an interesting message about interpreting “common beliefs” for yourself.  I hope that everyone takes something positive from this message and applies it to themselves at some point this year. I recently traveled to an area that is not considered by …