Precautions for Working at Heights

Working at heights hazards should be controlled before a worker leaves the ground. A harness alone does not make elevated work safe.

The employer should first assess the task, identify where a worker or object could fall, and select controls suited to the work area, equipment and site conditions. Guardrails and other methods that prevent exposure to the fall hazard should generally be considered before relying on personal fall-arrest equipment. Ontario’s fall-prevention guidance emphasizes guardrails, travel restraint and other protective systems based on the conditions of the project.

1. Plan the Work Before It Begins

A pre-job assessment should identify:

• Open edges, floor openings and fragile surfaces
• Changes in elevation
• Access and exit routes
• Suitable anchor or connection points
• Overhead and electrical hazards
• Falling-object exposure below the work area
• Weather, lighting and surface conditions
• Equipment and rescue requirements

Work should be delayed when wind, rain, snow, ice, poor visibility or another site condition makes the planned control ineffective.

The assessment should be repeated when the task, equipment, location or work conditions change.

2. Prevent Access to the Fall Hazard

Where reasonably possible, workers should be separated from the edge or opening.

Controls may include:

• Properly constructed guardrail systems
• Covers over floor or roof openings
• Secured work platforms
• Scaffolds with complete edge protection
• Travel-restraint systems that prevent a worker from reaching the edge
• Barriers that restrict unauthorized entry

Guardrails, toe boards and opening covers can protect more than one worker without requiring each person to take an individual action. Personal fall protection becomes essential when the hazard cannot be adequately controlled through the work platform or another collective measure.

Ontario’s Construction Projects regulation contains requirements for guardrail systems, including toe boards used to help protect people from falling objects.

3. Select the Correct Access and Work Equipment

The equipment must match the task.

A ladder may be suitable for short-duration access but may not provide an appropriate working platform for tasks that require force, prolonged positioning or two-handed work. Depending on the job, a scaffold or elevating work platform may provide a safer and more stable option.

Before use, confirm that:

• The equipment is suitable for the required height and load
• Ladders are positioned and secured correctly
• Scaffold components are complete and stable
• EWP guardrails, gates and controls are functioning
• Wheels, outriggers or stabilizers are deployed as required
• The supporting surface is firm and level
• Manufacturer instructions are available and followed

The equipment should never be improvised, altered or used for a purpose for which it was not designed.

4. Inspect Fall-Protection Equipment Before Use

Harnesses, lanyards, lifelines, connectors and self-retracting devices should be inspected before use.

The worker should check for:

• Cuts, burns or damaged webbing
• Torn or loose stitching
• Corrosion, cracks or deformation
• Damaged hooks, gates or connectors
• Missing or unreadable labels
• Signs that an energy absorber has deployed
• Contamination from paint, chemicals or other materials
• Damage caused by improper storage

Defective or questionable equipment should be removed from service and reported. It should not be returned to use until an authorized person determines that it is safe.

5. Control Falling Tools and Materials

Workers below an elevated task can be injured even when the person working above is fully protected from falling.

Precautions may include:

• Installing toe boards, screens or debris netting
• Using tool-tethering systems where appropriate
• Keeping materials away from platform edges
• Securing loose equipment and supplies
• Establishing a controlled area below the work
• Posting warning signs and restricting access
• Using lifting containers rather than carrying loose items
• Maintaining good housekeeping on platforms and scaffolds

Tools and materials should be stored so they cannot roll, slide or be knocked from the work surface. The source article similarly identifies secured tools, appropriate protective equipment and regular risk assessment as core precautions against falling-object incidents.

6. Keep Work Surfaces Stable and Clear

Wet, icy, uneven or cluttered surfaces can cause a worker to lose balance before the fall-protection system becomes involved.

Employers and supervisors should ensure that:

• Access routes are adequately lit
• Debris and unnecessary materials are removed
• Spills are cleaned promptly
• Cords and hoses do not create trip hazards
• Damaged platforms are taken out of service
• Workers use footwear suited to the surface
• Warning signs or barriers identify temporary hazards
• Work stops when weather or surface conditions become unsafe

Good housekeeping is especially important near roof edges, ladders, platforms and scaffold access points. The referenced hazard guidance identifies poor lighting, slippery surfaces, debris, uneven terrain and adverse weather as factors that can destabilize a worker at height.

7. Provide Training and Site-Specific Instruction

Workers on Ontario construction projects who use prescribed fall-protection methods must complete an approved Working at Heights training program. That foundational training does not replace instruction on the equipment, hazards and procedures used at the actual project.

Before assigning the task, confirm that the worker can:

• Recognize the site’s fall hazards
• Inspect and fit the required equipment
• Identify the approved connection point
• Distinguish between travel restraint and fall arrest
• Use the selected system correctly
• Follow the site’s emergency procedure
• Explain how a suspended worker will be rescued

Training should be supported by competent supervision and practical observation. A valid training record is important, but the employer must also confirm that the worker can apply the required precautions under current site conditions.

8. Prepare a Rescue Plan

A fall-arrest system may stop a worker from striking a lower level, but it can leave the person suspended and unable to return to a safe surface.

Before work begins, the employer should establish how a rescue will be completed. The plan should identify:

• Who will initiate and perform the rescue
• How emergency assistance will be contacted
• What rescue equipment is required
• How rescuers will access the suspended worker
• How the area will be controlled
• How workers will practise or review the procedure

The plan must be realistic for the location. Calling emergency services should not be the only preparation when workers need a prompt, site-specific rescue response.

Need practical Working at Heights training for your team? Achieve Safety provides approved training for Ontario workers, along with private and employer-focused course options. Ensure workers understand both the fall hazards and the controls required before elevated work begins.