S-2.1, r. 4 - Safety Code for the construction industry

Section 2.10.12 Disposition versions

2014-07-17

2.10.12. Safety harness:

(1)  A safety harness must comply with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.10 Full Body Harnesses and be secured to an anchorage system, in compliance with section 2.10.15, by a fall arrest connecting device that limits the maximum fall arrest force to 6 kN or the free fall distance to 1.8 m.

This fall arrest connecting device must consist of one or more of the following pieces of equipment, including as a minimum the equipment in subparagraph a or b:

(a)  an energy absorber and a lanyard in compliance with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.11 Energy Absorbers and Lanyards. The lanyard, including the energy absorber, must measure not more than 2 m in length;

(b)  a self retracting lanyard in compliance with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.2.2 Self-Retracting Devices for Personal Fall-Arrest Systems;

(c)  a rope grab in compliance with CSA Standard Z259.2.5 Fall Arresters and Vertical Lifelines or CSA Standard Z259.2.4 Fall Arresters and Vertical Rigid Rails;

(d)  a vertical life line in compliance with CSA Standard Z259.2.5 Fall Arresters and Vertical Lifelines or CSA Standard Z259.2.4 Fall Arresters and Vertical Rigid Rails.

A vertical life line must

i.  be used by only 1 person;

ii.  be shorter than 90 m; and

iii.  never be brought into direct contact with a sharp edge.

(e)  a connecting component, such as a spring hook, D-ring or snap hook in compliance with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.12 Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems.

(2)  A self-locking safety catch is not compulsory on a duckbilled snap hook located at the end of a rope used as a means of positioning by a worker assigned to the assembly of the latticework of reinforcing rods supporting a wall or pillar. In such a case, the rope must be less than 0.4 m long, be made of metal rings and be secured at the other end to the safety harness worn by the worker.

In addition to this means of positioning used by the worker, the employer must take at least one of the measures provided for in subparagraphs 3 and 4 of the second paragraph of section 2.9.1 to ensure the worker’s protection.

(3)  Where a worker assigned to the erection or checking of power line towers wears a safety harness, the harness must be equipped with one of the following systems:

(a)  an energy absorber to which are fastened 2 lanyards, including 1 that must be attached at all times;

(b)  an energy absorber to which is fastened 1 lanyard attached by a rope grab to a vertical life line;

(c)  a self retracting lanyard equipped with an energy absorber or fastened thereto.

Where the worker moves a life line or the sling of a self retracting lanyard by means of a pole anchor hook, the worker must be attached to the tower only by means of his or her work positioning strap or tether that the worker must fasten to a structural member above him or her.

R.R.Q., 1981, c. S-2.1, r. 6, s. 2.10.12; O.C. 1959-86, s. 12; O.C. 53-90, s. 2; O.C. 995-91, s. 5; O.C. 807-92, s. 3; O.C. 329-94, s. 14; O.C. 35-2001, s. 6; O.C. 606-2014, s. 6.

2012-09-01

2.10.12. Safety harness:

(1)  A safety harness must comply with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.10-M90 Full Body Harnesses and be used with one of the following systems:

(a)  an energy absorber to which a lanyard not allowing a free fall of more than 1.2 m is fastened;

(b)  a self retracting lanyard that includes an energy absorber or that is fastened thereto.

Energy absorbers must comply with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.11-M92 Shock Absorbers for Personal Fall Arrest Systems.

Lanyards must comply with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.1-95 Safety Belts and Lanyards.

Self retracting lanyards must comply with CSA Standard Z259.2-M1979 Fall-Arresting Devices, Personnel Lowering Devices, and Life Lines.

(2)  The fastening point of a self retracting lanyard must be anchored to an element having a breaking strength of at least 18 kN;

(3)  The fastening point of the lanyard must be fastened in one of the following manners:

(a)  anchored to an element having a breaking strength of at least 18 kN;

(b)  attached to a rope grab in compliance with CSA Standard Z259.2-M1979 Fall-Arresting Devices, Personnel Lowering Devices, and Life Lines, fastened to a vertical life line or anchored to an element having a breaking strength of at least 18 kN;

(c)  attached to a horizontal life line and anchorage system designed by a professional engineer as attested to by a plan or certificate available on the construction site;

(d)  attached to a horizontal life line in compliance with the following minimum standards:

i.  the life line shall be a steel cable of a minimum diameter of 12 mm slackened to a minimum angle of 1 vertical to 12 horizontal, or 5° from horizontal;

ii.  the span of the life line between the anchors shall not exceed 12 m;

iii.  the life line shall be fastened to anchors having a breaking strength of at least 90 kN;

iv.  the life line shall not be used by more than two workers at a time.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, for a worker using a flying scaffold held by 4 hoisting cables, the fastening point of the lanyard must be

(a) anchored to an element of the platform with a breaking strength of at least 18 kN; or

(b) secured to a metallic cable at least 8 mm in diameter, fastened at each end and in the centre of the platform.

(4)  Where there is a duckbilled snap hook on the end of the lanyard, that hook shall be fitted with a self-locking safety catch. Such safety catch is not compulsory in the case of workers assigned to the assembly of the latticework of reinforcing rods supporting a wall or pillar, if those workers use positioning equipment. In such a case, at least one of the measures provided for in subparagraphs 3 and 4 of the second paragraph of section 2.9.1 must be taken.

In this section, “positioning equipment” means a lanyard consisting of metal rings that is less than 400 mm long and equipped at one end with a duckbilled snap hook and fastened, at the other end, to a safety belt or to the safety harness worn by a worker.

(5)  A vertical life line must comply with CSA Standard Z259.2-M1979 Fall-Arresting Devices, Personnel Lowering Devices, and Life Lines and must

(a)  be used by only one person;

(b)  be shorter than 90 m;

(c)  be fastened to an individual anchor having a breaking strength of at least 18 kN or attached to a horizontal life line in accordance with subparagraph c or d of subsection 3;

(d)  never be brought into contact with a sharp edge.

(6)  Where a worker assigned to the erection or checking of power line towers wears a safety harness, that harness must comply with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.10-M90 Full Body Harnesses and be used with one of the following systems:

(a)  an energy absorber to which are fastened two lanyards including one that must be attached at all times;

(b)  an energy absorber to which is fastened one lanyard attached by a rope grab to a vertical life line;

(c)  a self retracting lanyard equipped with an energy absorber or fastened thereto.

Energy absorbers, lanyards and self retracting lanyards must comply with the standard provided for in subsection 1 that applies thereto.

Where he moves a life line or the sling of a self retracting lanyard by means of a pole anchor hook, a worker shall be attached to the tower only by means of his work positioning strap that he shall fasten to a structural member above him.

R.R.Q., 1981, c. S-2.1, r. 6, s. 2.10.12; O.C. 1959-86, s. 12; O.C. 53-90, s. 2; O.C. 995-91, s. 5; O.C. 807-92, s. 3; O.C. 329-94, s. 14; O.C. 35-2001, s. 6.