Workplace Safety and Fall Hazards Quiz

Hazard Identification - Working at Heights

• Over 42,000 Canadian workers are injured annually due to falls.
• 66% of these injuries occur due to slips at ground level.
• 34% are from ladders, stairs, roofs, or other height-related conditions.
• Injuries often occur even with adherence to safety procedures.
• Fall injuries can cost employers as much as $59,000 per incident.
• Profit margins of 5% translate to a $1.2 million cost per injury.

Anatomy of a Fall

• A fall is not the injury but rather the sudden stop.
• Most people take about ⅓ of a second to recognize a fall, and another ⅓ of a second to react.
• A person can fall up to 7 feet in ⅔ of a second.

Examples of Fall Hazards

• Falls are the number one cause of work-related injuries.
• Employers must perform risk assessments to control or eliminate fall hazards.
• Examples include:
  • Trips and slips at ground level
  • Falls from levels below 3 meters
  • Falls from 3 meters or more
  • Falls into operating machinery
  • Falls into hazardous substances
  • Falls through floor openings.

Ground Level Falls - Slips, Trips, and Falls

• Common ground level hazards include:
  • Slippery surfaces
  • Seasonal hazards
  • Spills
  • Changes in walkway levels
  • Unsecured mats
  • Unsafe use of ladders
  • Poor lighting/poor visibility
  • Poorly maintained equipment
  • Obstructions

Legislation: Slip, Trips and Falls

• Floors must be free of:
  • Obstructions
  • Hazards
  • Debris (refuse, snow, ice)
• Surfaces must not be treated with materials that increase slipperiness.

OHSA Requirements

• Employers: Take precautions for worker safety, provide training, inform workers about hazards, and provide appropriate equipment.
• Workers: Report hazards, use required equipment, and report equipment defects/problems to superiors.

Other Regulations

• Waste must be removed from work areas daily.
• Debris must be controlled to prevent falling and injury.
• Spills of hazardous liquids must be cleaned up, and warning signs should be placed until cleaned.

Falls From Heights

• Working at heights is a common, dangerous task in many industries.
• Falls from heights can result in serious injuries or fatalities.

Types of Working at Heights

• Buildings: Falls can happen from roofs, elevated locations, unprotected edges and openings (floors, roofs, stairwells, ramps, windows, doors, skylights, elevators)
• Scaffolds: Temporary platforms for workers supporting workers or materials, must be properly constructed/maintained.
• Elevated Work Platforms (EWPs): Various types, need proper training and use.
• Ladders: For lighter tasks where lateral movement isn't needed.

Preventing Falls

• Eliminate fall hazard when possible, otherwise control it.
• Use a hierarchy of controls (elimination, engineering, administrative, ppe).
• Some prescribed methods, based on legislation
• Regulations vary depending on the type of work and location.

Guardrails - Legislation

• Guardrails: Required around uncovered openings in floors, roofs, and sides of elevated surfaces.
• Height: Guardrails required when surface is less than 107 cm above ground level.

Floor Coverings

• Covers for floor/roof openings must be securely placed to withstand expected loads

Fall Restraint/Fall Arrest Systems

• Fall restraint systems restrict worker movement near edges
• Fall arrest systems stop a worker from falling
• Considerations of height and distance required in workplace

Warning Barriers

• Warning barriers are used to warn workers of unprotected edges.

Positioning Device Systems

• Enables workers to work with both hands free on vertical surfaces
• Prevents falls to two feet

Safety Net Systems

• Safety net systems provide a catch mechanism for falls.

Fall Arrest Systems- Components

• These systems include an anchor, connectors, shock absorbers, lifelines, rope grabs, and a full body harness working together to minimize the impact force of a fall..

Fall Arrest Hazards

• When fall hazards can't be eliminated or controlled
• Potential dangers associated with fall arrest systems (e.g., bottoming out, pendulum effect, suspension trauma).

Bottoming Out

• Occurs when the total fall distance is greater than the distance between the work surface and the next accessible (lower) surface

Pendulum Effect

• Occurs when a worker swings after a fall arrest system activates.

Suspension Trauma

• A person suspended from a harness may experience blood pooling in the legs (possibly causing oxygen deprivation to the brain).

Ladder Hazards

• Common hazards for ladder usage include overreaching, heavy material handling, loss of balance on unsecured ladders, lacking proper three-point ladder contact, and ladder defects.

Types of Working at Heights: Ladders

• Ladders are better used for light-duty/short-distance applications.
• There are multiple ladder types (extension, straight, fixed access, tripod, step ladders).
• Factors contributing to ladder falls include:
  • Poor contact
  • Improper ladder placement/selection
  • Overreaching
  • Handling heavy loads
  • Poor technique
  • Fatigue

Ontario Regulation 213/91 and Working at Heights

• Requirements: Specific rules for worker protection on construction sites.
• Sections 26.1–26.9: Devices for workers at risk of certain fall hazards/situations.
• Hazardous situations: Falling beyond 3m, falls into water, machinery, into hazardous substances, and through openings.

Section 26.1 Working at Heights

• Workers must be protected by guardrails if possible.
• If not, use fall restraint, fall restricting, or fall arrests systems. (the specifics differ depending the regulations involved).

Suspended Platforms, Guardrails, Scaffolds

• Engineering principles are critical (design by a qualified professional).
• Often, elevated devices meet CSA standards.

Worker at Heights Training

• Workers who perform height-related tasks must complete approved training.