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OHS Rope Access Work Safety Requirements

Rope access is a method that enables workers to perform work while accessing heights and hard-to-reach structures, buildings, geologic features, or spaces by using ropes as the primary means of support, work positioning, and fall prevention. Typically consisting of a full body harness, rope, lanyards, connecting equipment, anchors, ascenders, descenders, belay devices, backup devices, fall arresters, and other components, rope access systems use two separately secured subsystems, the first providing a means of access and the second providing a safety, secondary, belay, or backup system. Because it involves technicians operating at great heights, often in challenging and unpredictable environments relying on the effectiveness of so many components, rope access work is extremely dangerous.

However, while general fall protection is a focal point of OHS regulation, only four provinces specifically address rope access work in their OHS regulations—Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia. Ontario will soon become the fifth province to impose specific requirements for rope access work. On August 21, the Ontario Ministry of Labour finalized public consultations on proposed regulations that, if and when they’re finalized and put into effect, would be the strictest in all of Canada.

(Note: New Brunswick is a bit of hybrid in the sense that OHS fall protection regulations mention rope access work but don’t address its unique characteristics.) Where rope access work regulations do currently exist, they generally require employers to:

  • Establish a written safety plan for carrying out the work, including procedures for assembling, using, maintaining, and disassembling the rope access system.
  • Ensure workers are properly trained and certified to carry out rope access work.
  • Ensure that the various system components and devices meet applicable CSA, NFPA, CEN, or other standards and are properly inspected and maintained.
  • Provide for the safe rescue of workers who carry out rope access work.
  • Ensure that workers use appropriate head protection.
  • Ensure that workers keep written logbooks recording specific details about the rope access operations they carry out.

The new Ontario regulations build on this base and add new requirements such as the duty of employers, contractors, and site owners to notify the government at least 24 hours before carrying out rope access work.

In the other jurisdictions where there are no specific OHS regulations, rope access work would be subject to general fall protection requirements. After all, fall protection is one of the integral components of rope access work. Consequently, some general fall protection requirements would pertain to rope access, such as those governing anchorage, lanyards, and rescue. Even so, general fall protection regulations weren’t created with rope access work in mind. And that can make compliance in the nine jurisdictions without specific rope access work regulations complicated.

Here’s a summary of the current OHS rope access regulations in each part of the country, including the proposed Ontario regulations.

FEDERAL

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

ALBERTA

Definitions

  1. “Industrial rope access work” means work activities at height which incorporate a working line, safety line, and full body harness in combination with other devices that allow a worker to ascend, descend, and traverse to and from a work area under the worker’s own control (OHS Code, Sec. 1).
  2. “Non‑industrial rope access work” means work activities performed within a recreational or sport context that incorporate a working line and a sit harness or full body harness in combination with other devices during:
    1. mountaineering, caving, and canyoning activities requiring the use of rope access techniques, or
    2. climbing on artificial structures designed and built for the purpose of sport climbing (OHS Code, Sec. 1).
  3. “Occupational rope access” includes both industrial and non‑industrial rope access work (OHS Code, Sec. 1).

General Requirements

  1. Scope and Exemption: The below rope access work requirements don’t apply to Part 9 of the OHS Code, which specifically address equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), and practices required for fall protection.
  2. Workers involved in training for occupational rope access work or performing occupational rope access work may use equipment, PPE, and practices other than those specified in Part 9 (OHS Code, Sec. 805).

Safe Access Plan & Procedures

  1. An employer must develop an occupational rope access safe work plan for a work site if a worker at the work site may fall 3 metres or more, or there’s an unusual possibility of injury if a worker falls less than 3 metres (OHS Code, Sec. 808).
  2. An occupational rope access safe work plan must be available at a work site before work involving risk of falling begins and must specify:
    1. the hazards associated with the work to be performed;
    2. how the hazards will be eliminated or controlled;
    3. the rope access system to be used at the work site;
    4. the procedures used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use, and disassemble the rope access system;
    5. the members of the work team by name and their duties;
    6. the appropriate PPE to be used; and
    7. an emergency response plan (OHS Code, Secs. 809 + 810).
  3. An employer must develop and implement safe work practices that include:
    1. the assessment of hazards at the work site in accordance with Part 2 of the OHS Code,
    2. worker training, including hazard recognition, and the selection, limitation, operation, inspection, and maintenance of equipment and PPE,
    3. the use of work positioning systems and fall protection systems, and
    4. the rescue procedures to be used in case of equipment and PPE malfunction, a fall, or injury that leaves a worker suspended and requiring rescue (OHS Code, Sec. 811).
  4. Training: An employer must ensure that a worker is trained in the rope access safe work plan, safe work practices, and safe use of the rope access system before allowing the worker to work in an area where a rope access system is to be used (OHS Code, Sec. 812).

Equipment & Components

  1. An employer must ensure that equipment to be used by a worker during occupational rope access work activities is not suspended from the worker’s working line or safety line (OHS Code, Sec. 813(1)).
  2. An employer must ensure that equipment weighing more than 8 kilograms and to be used by a worker during occupational rope access work activities is suspended from a separate line secured to a suitable anchorage (OHS Code, Sec. 813(2)).
  3. An employer must ensure that all components of an occupational rope access system are compatible with one another and with the environment in which they’re used (OHS Code, Sec. 814).
  4. An employer must ensure that the components of an occupational rope access system are:
    1. inspected by the worker as required by the manufacturer before the system is used on each work shift,
    2. kept free from substances and conditions that could contribute to their deterioration, and
    3. re‑certified as specified by the manufacturer (OHS Code, Sec. 815).
  5. An employer must ensure that the working line and safety line of an occupational rope access system are the same diameter (OHS Code, Sec. 816).
  6. An employer must ensure that low stretch or static rope manufactured on or after July 1, 2009, and used in an occupational rope access system is approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 1891: 1998, Personal protective equipment for the prevention of falls from a height — Low stretch kernmantel ropes, and is a Type A rope as classified by the standard,
    2. NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope, Harness, and Hardware, 2006 Edition, or
    3. UIAA Standard 107: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Low Stretch Ropes, and is a Type A rope as classified by the standard (OHS Code, Sec. 817).
  7. An employer must ensure that high stretch or dynamic rope used in an occupational rope access system is approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 892: 2004, Mountaineering equipment — Dynamic mountaineering ropes — Safety requirements and test methods, or
    2. UIAA Standard 101: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Dynamic Ropes (OHS Code, Sec. 818).
  8. If a cow’s tail is made of dynamic rope, an employer must ensure that the rope is approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 892: 2004,Mountaineering equipment — Dynamic mountaineering ropes — Safety requirements and test methods, or
    2. UIAA Standard 101: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Dynamic Ropes (OHS Code, Sec. 819(1)).
  9. If a cow’s tail is not made of dynamic rope, an employer must ensure that the cow’s tail is approved to CEN Standard EN 354: 2002, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height — Lanyards (OHS Code, Sec. 819(2)).
  10. An employer must ensure that equipment and personal protective equipment used as part of an occupational rope access system is removed from service as specified by the manufacturer, or if it’s defective, and returned to the manufacturer, destroyed, or rendered unusable (OHS Code, Sec. 820(1)).
  11. An employer must ensure that equipment and PPE used as part of an occupational rope access system that’s removed from service is not returned to service unless a professional engineer or the manufacturer certifies that the equipment and PPE is safe to use (OHS Code, Sec. 820(2)).

Rescue

  1. An employer must ensure that a worker can be promptly rescued in case of equipment and PPE malfunction, fall, or injury (OHS Code, Sec. 821).
  2. An employer must ensure that a worker is trained to perform self-rescue on the equipment and PPE (OHS Code, Sec. 822).
  3. An employer must ensure that one of the following safe work practices for industrial rope access work is followed:
    1. International guidelines on the use of rope access methods for industrial purposes, July 2001, published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association;
    2. Safe Practices for Rope Access Work, October 2003, published by the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians;
    3. Industrial Rope Access Technique, ARAA Industry Code, September 2000, published by the Australian Rope Access Association (OHS Code, Sec. 823).
  4. An employer must ensure that at least two workers trained in industrial rope access work are present when rope access equipment and rope access PPE and techniques are used (OHS Code, Sec. 825).
  5. An employer must ensure that the training required to comply with section 812of the Code (Item #9 above) includes the applicable skills and practical experience hours described in:
    1. Clauses 15.3, 16.3 or 17.3 as appropriate, of General requirements for certification of personnel engaged in industrial rope access methods, 2005, published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association,
    2. Clause 7 of Certification Requirements for Rope Access Work, January 2005, published by the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians, or
    3. Appendix D of Industrial Rope Access Technique, ARAA Industry Code, September 2000, published by the Australian Rope Access Association (OHS Code, Sec. 826).

Worker Logbooks

  1. A worker performing industrial rope access work must have a personal logbook containing a record of the industrial rope access work performed by that worker (OHS Code, Sec. 827(1)).
  2. Records in the worker’s personal logbook must be in chronological order and each entry must be verified and signed by the rope access supervisor or worksite manager (OHS Code, Sec. 827(2)).
  3. Each record of work must include:
    1. the date the work was performed,
    2. the type of work performed, including the access method used,
    3. the type of structure worked on, and
    4. the hours worked using industrial rope access techniques (OHS Code, Sec. 827(3)).
  4. The worker must ensure that the personal logbook is current and available at the worksite for inspection by an OHS officer (OHS Code, Sec. 827(4)).

Fall Arrest & Anchors

  1. An employer must ensure that a rope access system used for industrial rope access work:
    1. limits the maximum arresting force on a worker to 6 kilonewtons (kN),
    2. prevents the worker from striking a lower surface that could cause injury, unless doing so exposes the worker to other greater hazards, and
    3. minimizes the hazards of swinging and striking an object that could injure the worker (OHS Code, Sec. 828).
  2. An employer must ensure that an anchor to which an industrial rope access system is attached has an ultimate breaking strength of at least 16 kN per worker attached, in the direction in which the load may be applied (OHS Code, Sec. 829(1)).
  3. Exception: If it’s not practicable for the anchor to have the specified ultimate breaking strength, an anchor may be used that has an ultimate breaking strength per attached worker of 2 times the estimated maximum arresting force created by a fall in the direction of the rope pull, unless doing so exposes the worker to other greater hazards (OHS Code, Sec. 829(2)).

Safety Lines

  1. An employer must ensure that a safety, secondary, belay, or backup line is used when the working line is the primary means of support (OHS Code, Sec. 830(1)).
  2. An employer must ensure that the safety line and the working line are each provided with a separate anchorage connection and are separately fixed to the worker’s harness (OHS Code, Sec. 830(2)).
  3. Items #34 and #35 above don’t prohibit both the working line and safety line from being attached to a single harness attachment point (OHS Code, Sec. 830(3)).
  4. An employer may allow a worker to connect the safety line to the sternal or frontal attachment point of the worker’s full body harness in accordance with the harness manufacturer’s specifications (OHS Code, Sec. 830(4)).

Head Protection

  1. If there’s a foreseeable danger of injury to a worker’s head while performing industrial rope access work, and there’s a significant possibility of lateral impact to the worker’s head, an employer must ensure that the worker wears protective headwear that’s appropriate to the hazards and, if it was manufactured on or after March 31, 2023, it meets the requirements of:
    1. CSA Standard Z94.1‑15, Industrial protective headwear— Performance, selection, care, and use,
    2. ANSI Standard Z89.1‑2003, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, for Type II helmets,
    3. CEN Standard EN 12492: 2000, Mountaineering equipment — Helmets for mountaineers — Safety requirements and test methods, if the manufacturer’s specifications allow the helmet to be used for industrial work at height, or
    4. UIAA Standard 106: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Helmets, if the manufacturer’s specifications allow the helmet to be used for industrial work at height (OHS Code, Sec. 831(1)).
  2. If there’s a foreseeable danger of injury to a worker’s head while performing industrial rope access work, and the possibility of lateral impact to the worker’s head is unlikely, an employer must ensure that the worker wears protective headwear that’s appropriate to the hazards and, if it was manufactured on or after March 31, 2023, it meets the requirements of
    1. CSA Standard Z94.1‑15, Industrial protective headwear — Performance, selection, care and use,
    2. ANSI Standard Z89.1‑2003, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection, for Type I or Type II helmets,
    3. CEN Standard EN 397: 2006, Specification for industrial safety helmets,
    4. CEN Standard EN 12492: 2000, Mountaineering equipment — Helmets for mountaineers — Safety requirements and test methods, if the manufacturer’s specifications allow the helmet to be used for industrial work at height, or
    5. UIAA Standard 106: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Helmets, if the manufacturer’s specifications allow the helmet to be used for industrial work at height (OHS Code, Sec. 831(2)).
  3. An employer must ensure that the above-required protective headwear required is equipped with a retention system having at least 3 separate points of attachment to the helmet shell, and includes a chin strap (OHS Code, Sec. 832).
  4. An employer must ensure that a worker secures the protective headwear according to the manufacturer’s specifications (OHS Code, Sec. 833).

Full Body Harness

  1. An employer must ensure that a full body harness is used during industrial rope access work and if manufactured on or after March 31, 2023 is approved to:
    1. NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope and System Components, 2006 Edition, as a Class III safety harness,
    2. CEN Standard EN 361: 2007, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height — Full body harnesses,
    3. ANSI/ASSE Standard Z359.1‑2007, Safety requirements for personal fall arrest systems, subsystems and components, or
    4. CSA Standard Z259.10‑18, Full body harnesses (OHS Code, Sec. 834).

Connectors, Ascenders, & Other Components

  1. An employer must ensure that connecting components manufactured on or after July 1, 2009 used in industrial rope access work consist of carabiners, D rings, O rings, oval rings, and self-locking connectors approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 362: 2004, Personal protective equipment against falls from height. Connectors,
    2. CEN Standard EN 12275: 1998, Mountaineering equipment — Connector — Safety requirements and test methods,
    3. UIAA Standard 121: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Connectors,
    4. CSA Standard Z259.12‑16 (R2021), Connecting components for personal fall‑arrest systems (PFAS), or
    5. NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope, Harness, and Hardware, 2006 Edition (OHS Code, Sec. 835).
  2. An employer must ensure that carabiners used as part of an industrial rope access system are:
    1. a screw gate type, or
    2. self-locking and self-closing, requiring at least 2 consecutive, deliberate actions to open (OHS Code, Sec. 836).
  3. An employer must ensure that an ascender manufactured on or after July 1, 2009, used in an industrial rope access system is approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 567: 1997, Mountaineering equipment — Rope clamps — Safety requirements and test methods,
    2. UIAA Standard 126: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Rope Clamps, or
    3. NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope, Harness, and Hardware, 2006 Edition (OHS Code, Sec. 837).
  4. An employer must ensure that a back-up device manufactured on or after July 1, 2009, used in an industrial rope access system is approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 353 2: 2002, Personal protective equipment against falls from a height — Part 2: Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line,
    2. CEN Standard EN 567: 1997, Mountaineering equipment — Rope clamps — Safety requirements and test methods,
    3. UIAA Standard 126: 2004, Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Rope Clamps, or
    4. ANSI Standard Z359.1‑2007, Safety requirements for personal fall arrest systems, subsystems and components (OHS Code, Sec. 838).
  5. An employer must ensure that a descender manufactured on or after July 1, 2009, used in an industrial rope access system is approved to:
    1. CEN Standard EN 341: 1997, Personal protective equipment against falls from height —– Descender devices, as a Class A device, or
    2. NFPA Standard 1983, Standard on Fire Service Life Safety Rope, Harness and Hardware, 2006 Edition (OHS Code, Sec. 839).

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Definitions

  1. "Rope access"means a technique in which a rope access system is used to provide a person with access to and from a workplace, commonly including suspension at the workplace, in such a way that a fall is prevented or arrested (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.1).
  2. "Rope access system"means a system consisting of:
    1. a sit harness or full body harness,
    2. rope, lanyards, and other connecting equipment,
    3. anchors, and
    4. other components such as ascenders, descenders, belay devices, backup devices, and fall arresters,

that usually employs two separately secured subsystems, one as a means of access and the other as a safety, secondary, belay, or backup system, but does not include a boatswain's chair, also known as a bosun's chair, or a zipline (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.1).

Scope & Exemption

  1. These requirements apply to the use of rope access in a workplace, but don’t apply to:
  2. scaling operations described in sections 20.96 to 20.101 of the Regs.;
  3. a qualified arborist or a trainee arborist, as defined in section 26.1;
  4. a climber, as defined in section 26.7.1(1);
  5. firefighters and firefighting activities under Part 31;
  6. evacuation and rescue, and training in such procedures, under Part 32 (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.2).
  7. The use of rope access in a workplace is subject to the fall protection requirements set out in Section 11.2 of the Regs. (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.2).

Rope Access Plan

  1. Before a rope access system is installed or used in a workplace, a written rope access plan must be prepared and be available at the workplace and include all of the following information:
  2. the hazards associated with the work to be performed;
  3. how the hazards and associated risks will be eliminated or controlled;
  4. a description of the rope access system to be used at the workplace;
  5. a description of the types and locations of anchorages to be used at the workplace;
  6. the procedures to be used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use, and disassemble the rope access system;
  7. the name and duties of each member of the work team;
  8. the appropriate PPE to be used; and
  9. the emergency response, evacuation and rescue procedures (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.3).

Training & Certification

  1. Before allowing a person to perform rope access, the employer must ensure and document that the person:
  2. has received training in the safe use of a rope access system, including, as appropriate to the work being done, the safe work practices, skills and practical experience hours described in one of the following groups of publications:
  3. International Code of Practice(2013) and General requirements for certification of personnel engaged in industrial rope access methods, Edition 6 (June 2009), published by the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association;
  4. Safe Practices for Rope Access Work(August 2012) and Certification Requirements for Rope Access Work (November 2012), published by the Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians;
  • Scope of Practice(2012), Technical Handbook for Professional Mountain Guides (1999) and Climbing Gym Instructor Technical Manual (2003), published by the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides;
  1. Cave Guiding Standards for British Columbia and Alberta(January 2004), published by the Canadian Cave Conservancy, and Companion Rescue Workshop (2011), published by British Columbia Cave Rescue, and
  2. holds a valid certificate of the training referred to in paragraph (a) issued by a body or association referred to in subparagraphs (i) to (iv) of that paragraph (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.4(1)).
  3. The certificate referred to above must be available at the workplace and produced for inspection on the request of an officer (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.4(2)).
  4. Before allowing a person to perform rope access, the employer must ensure and document that the person is trained in the rope access plan and knows that person's duties under the plan (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.4(3)).

Safe Work Practices

  1. A person performing rope access must comply with, as appropriate to the work being done, the safe work practices described in one of the groups of publications set out in Item #6)(a)(i) to (iv) above (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.5).

Two-Rope Systems

  1. A person performing rope access must use a two-rope system unless one or both of the following apply:
  2. the primary means of support for the person performing rope access is provided by a building, a structure or the ground and not by a rope access system;
  3. in the case of rope access performed (i) in the course of mountaineering or caving, or (ii) in a climbing gym, using a two-rope system may result in a greater hazard than if a single-rope system is used (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.6(2)).
  4. In a two-rope system, the working line and the safety, secondary, belay, or backup line must:
  5. have independent connection points to the system's anchor or anchorage, and
  6. be independently connected to the harness of the person performing rope access (for the purposes of the foregoing, the working line and the safety, secondary, belay, or backup line may be independently connected to a single connection point on the harness of the person performing rope access) (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.6(3)).
  7. A person must not connect a safety, secondary, belay or backup line to a sternal connection point on the person's full body harness except as permitted by the manufacturer of the harness (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.6(5)).

Personal Logs

  1. A person who performs rope access must maintain a personal log containing a record of the rope access performed by the person (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.7(1)).
  2. The records in the personal log must be kept in chronological order and, unless otherwise provided for in a group of publications set out in Item #6 above (a)(i) to (iv) that is appropriate to the work being done, the entry for each day of work must be verified and signed by the rope access supervisor or the manager in charge (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.7(2)).
  3. The records in the personal log must include all of the following information:
  4. the date on which the rope access was performed;
  5. the type of work performed;
  6. the type of rope access system used for the work;
  7. the type of building or structure worked on;
  8. the number of hours worked using rope access (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.7(3)).
  9. The person must keep the personal log current and available at the workplace for inspection by an officer (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.7(4)).

Rescue

  1. The employer must ensure that a person performing rope access can be promptly rescued, in accordance with the procedures described in the rope access plan, in the event of an equipment malfunction, a fall, or an injury or the person's incapacity to self-rescue (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.8).

Equipment

  1. Equipment used for a rope access system must consist of components that are compatible and suitable for the intended use, and be suitable for the environment in which the equipment is used (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.9(1)).
  2. Unless otherwise provided for under section 34.12(1) (Item #23 below) or 34.13(2) (Item #27 below) of the Regs, equipment of a type set out in Column 1 of Schedule 34-A (see below) must meet the requirements of, and be used in accordance with, one of the applicable standards set out opposite that type of equipment in Column 2 (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.9(2)).
  3. Equipment used for a rope access system must be:
  4. inspected for defects by a person intending to use the rope access system before the rope access system is first used on each work shift,
  5. inspected in the manner and at the frequency required by the manufacturer of the equipment, and
  6. kept free from substances and conditions that could contribute to the deterioration of the equipment (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.10).
  7. An anchor for a rope access system must be reliable (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.11(1)).
  8. A person must not connect or secure a rope access system to an anchorage unless the anchorage is reliable and capable of safely withstanding any forces that may be applied to the anchorage by persons using the rope access system (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.11(2)).
  9. A permanent anchor for a rope access system must have an ultimate load capacity, in any direction in which the load may be applied, of at least 22.2 kN (5000 lbf) for each person connected to the permanent anchor (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.12(1)).
  10. In addition to being inspected as often as the manufacturer recommends and in accordance with CSA Standard Z91-02 (R2013) Health and Safety Code for Suspended Equipment Operations:
  11. a permanent anchor for a rope access system must be inspected, at least once a year, and tested, and
  12. the results of the inspection and testing must be documented (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.12(2)).
  13. A permanent anchor for a rope access system, and its installation, must be certified by a professional engineer (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.12(3)).
  14. Exception: Items #23 and #24 above don’t apply to a permanent anchor for a rope access system used in the course of mountaineering or caving (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.12(4)).
  15. A temporary anchor for a rope access system must have an ultimate load capacity, in any direction in which the load may be applied, of at least 12 kN (2700 lbf) for each person connected to the temporary anchor (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.13(2)).

Protective Headwear

  1. A person performing rope access must wear headgear that:
  2. is appropriate for the work being done,
  3. is equipped with a chin strap having at least 3 separate points of connection to the helmet shell,
  4. is secured in accordance with the specifications of the manufacturer of the headgear, and
  5. meets the requirements of one or more of the following standards:
  6. CSA Standard CAN/CSA-Z94.1-05or CAN/CSA-Z94.1-15, Industrial protective headwear – Performance, selection, care, and use;
  7. ANSI Standard ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2009or ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2014, American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection;
  • British Safety Institution Standard BS EN 12492:2012 Mountaineering equipment – Helmets for mountaineers – Safety requirements and test methods;
  1. British Safety Institution Standard BS EN 397:2012+A1:2012 Industrial safety helmets;
  2. UIAA Standard UIAA 106 Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment – Helmets (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.14).

Maximum Arrest Force, Clearance

  1. A rope access system must:
  2. limit the maximum arrest force to not more than 6 kN (1350 lbf), and
  3. minimize the risk of a person connected to the rope access system striking a lower surface or object, or swinging and striking a surface or object, in a manner that could cause injury (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.15(2)).

Removal from Service

  1. Equipment used for a rope access system must be removed from service:
  2. as specified by the manufacturer of the equipment, or
  3. if the equipment is defective (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.16(1)).
  4. Equipment that is removed from service must not be returned to service until it has been inspected and recertified, by the manufacturer or a professional engineer, as meeting the requirements of section 34.9 (Items #18 and #19 above) (OHS Regs, Sec. 34.16(2)).

Schedule 34-A (See Item #19 above) Standards for Equipment Used in Rope Access Systems

Column 1 Type of Equipment Column 2 Standards
Anchors CAN/CSA Z259.15-12 Anchorage Connectors (published January, 2012)
CAN/CSA Z271-10 Safety code for suspended platforms (published September, 2010)
EN 795:2012 Personal fall protection equipment — Anchor devices (published September 30, 2013)
Connectors ANSI/ASSE 359.12-2009 Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems (published November 16, 2009)
CSA Z259.12-11 Connecting components for personal fall arrest systems (PFAS) (published November, 2011)
EN 362:2004 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height — Connectors (published June 30, 2005)
EN 12275:2013 Mountaineering equipment — Connectors — Safety requirements and test methods (published October 31, 2013)
UIAA 121 Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Connectors/Karabiners (published March 8, 2013)
Energy absorbers EN 355:2002 Personal protective equipment against falls from height — Energy absorbers (published November 30, 2002)
Harnesses CAN/CSA Z259.10-12 Full body harnesses (published February, 2012)
EN 361:2002 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height — Full body harnesses (published July 4, 2002)
EN 813:2008 Personal fall protection equipment — Sit harnesses (published February 28, 2009)
EN 12277:2007 Mountaineering equipment — Harnesses — Safety requirements and test methods (published August 31, 2007)
UIAA 105 Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Harnesses (published May 30, 2014)
Lanyards EN 354:2010 Personal fall protection equipment — Lanyards (published January 31, 2011)
Rope Cordage Institute CI 1801-07 Low Stretch and Static Kernmantle Life Safety Rope (published October, 2007)
EN 892:2012 Mountaineering equipment — Dynamic mountaineering ropes — Safety requirements and test methods (published February 28, 2013)
EN 1891:1998 Personal protective equipment for the prevention of falls from a height — Low stretch kernmantel ropes (published October 31, 1998)
NFPA 1983 Standard on Life Safety Rope and Equipment for Emergency Services, 2012 Edition (published January 2, 2012)
UIAA 101 Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Dynamic Ropes (published June 26, 2014)
UIAA 107 Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Low Stretch Ropes (published March 8, 2013)
Rope adjustment devices, including ascenders, back up devices, belay devices, descenders, fall arresters, and rope clamps. CAN/CSA Z259.2.3-12 Descent devices (published January, 2012)
EN 341:2011 Personal fall protection equipment — Descender devices for rescue (published December 31, 2011)
EN 353-2:2002 Personal protective equipment against falls from a height — Part 2: Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line (published November 30, 2002)
EN 567:2013 Mountaineering equipment — Rope clamps — Safety requirements and test methods (published September 30, 2013)
EN 12841:2006 Personal fall protection equipment — Rope access systems — Rope adjustment devices (published February 28, 2007)
UIAA 126 Mountaineering and Climbing Equipment — Rope Clamps (published March 8, 2013)

MANITOBA

Definitions

  1. “Rope access" means a technique in which a rope access system is used to provide a person with access to and from a workplace, commonly including suspension at the workplace, in such a way that a fall is prevented or arrested (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.8).
  2. "Rope access system" meansa system that employs two separately secured subsystems, the first providing a means of access and the second providing a safety, secondary, belay, or backup system, but does not include a boatswain's chair or a zipline, and that consists of:
    1. a sit harness or full body harness;
    2. rope, lanyards, and other connecting equipment;
    3. anchors;
    4. other components such as ascenders, descenders, belay devices, backup devices and fall arresters (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.8).
  3. Application: These requirements apply to every workplace where a rope access system is used to perform work or to train for work but not to:
    1. firefighters;
    2. persons providing emergency response services or search and rescue services;
    3. recreational or leisure activities that involve a rope access system, including workplaces where such activities are taught (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.1).
  4. An employer may only allow workers to perform rope access work if it is not practically feasible for the workers to comply with Part 14 (Fall Protection) while performing the work in question (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.2).
  5. Part 14 of the Regs. (fall protection) doesn’t apply to a workplace where rope access work is performed in accordance with the requirements of this Part (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.3).

Safe Work Procedures

  1. An employer must:
    1. develop and implement safe work procedures respecting rope access work, including the rescue procedures to be used in case of equipment malfunction or a fall or injury that leaves a worker suspended or requiring rescue;
    2. train workers in the safe work procedures; and
    3. ensure that workers comply with the safe work procedures (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.4).

Training & Certification

  1. Before allowing a worker to perform rope access work, an employer must ensure that the worker:
    1. has received training in the safe use of a rope access system, including, as appropriate to the work being done, the safe work practices, skills, and practical experience hours set out in either of the following groups of publications:
      1. International Code of Practice (2014)and Training Assessment and Certification Scheme (2015), published by IRATA,
      2. Safe Practices for Rope Access Work (2017)and Certification Requirements for Rope Access Work (2019), published by SPRAT; and
    2. holds a valid certificate of training referred to above (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.5(1)).
  2. The certificate referred to above must be available at the workplace and produced for inspection on the request of a safety and health officer (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.5(2)).
  3. A worker must only perform or supervise rope access work within the scope of their certification (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.5(3)).

Equipment

  1. An employer must ensure that all equipment used in the performance of rope access work is selected, used and maintainedin accordance with the requirements of:
    1. International Code of Practice(2014), published by IRATA; or
    2. Safe Practices for Rope Access Work (2017), published by SPRAT (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.6).

Planning & Performing Rope Access Work

  1. An employer must ensure that rope access work is planned, performed, and supervised in accordance with the requirements of:
    1. International Code of Practice(2014), published by IRATA; or
    2. Safe Practices for Rope Access Work (2017), published by SPRAT (WSH Regs, Sec. 28.1.7).

NEW BRUNSWICK

  1. “Rope access work”means work that involves rope-based techniques for gaining access to, or working in, a work area that is difficult or impossible to access by other means (OHS General Reg, Sec. 2).
  2. An employer and a contractor must each ensure that a fall-protection code of practice is written for a place of employment if a fall-protection system is required for the place of employment and:
    1. the employees are working from a height of 7.5 m or more,
    2. the employees are performing rope access work other than rope access work for emergency rescue purposes,
    3. an officer requires that the code of practice be written (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.2(1)).
  3. The code of practice must be readily available at the place of employment before work begins and employees must have received instruction with regards to the code of practice (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.2(2)).
  4. The code of practice must be developed in consultation with the workplace safety committee or the health and safety representative, if any, or with the affected employees (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.2(3)).
  5. The code of practice must include the following information:
    1. possible hazardous situations, including a description of the hazards and the possible effects on the health or safety of employees;
    2. the identification of employees at risk;
    3. the location where the code of practice might apply;
    4. the methods and equipment to be used, including inspections procedures;
    5. the procedures and equipment which might be required in the event of an emergency;
    6. the times, days, or events during which the code of practice might be applicable;
    7. the identification of training needs;
    8. the identification of the person responsible for implementing the code of practice; and
    9. the name of the safety monitor, if applicable, and the training the safety monitor has received (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.2(4)).
  6. An employer must ensure that a competent person trains an employee in the use, maintenance and inspection of a fall-protection system for the task being performed unless the fall-protection system is a guardrail (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.3(1)).
  7. The employer must ensure that the competent person who provides the training, prepares a written training record which includes the following information:
    1. the name of the employee who received the training;
    2. the date on which the training took place; and
    3. the name of the competent person and the name of the agency if any (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.3(2)).
  8. The training record for each employee must be made available to an officer upon request (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.3(3)).
  9. An employer must, in consultation with the workplace safety committee or health and safety representative, if any, review annually or more frequently, if required by a change in work conditions or in the fall protection field, the training provided to employees concerning fall protection to determine if retraining is necessary (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.3(4)).
  10. An owner of a place of employment, an employer, and a contractor must each ensure that each component of a fall-protection system is inspected as follows to determine whether there are any defective or inadequate components:
    1. visually by the employee before use during a shift; and
    2. by a competent person before initial use and periodically as recommended by the manufacturer, installer, or an engineer (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.4(1)).
  11. If the inspection reveals a defect or inadequacy, no one may use the fall-protection system and no owner of a place of employment, employer, or contractor may permit its use until the defect or inadequacy has been eliminated (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.4(2)).
  12. An owner of a place of employment, an employer, and a contractor must each ensure that all components of a fall-protection system are compatible with one another, the work environment and the type of work being done (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.4(3)).
  13. An employer and an employee must each ensure that each component of a personal fall-protection system is inspected as follows to determine whether there are any defective or inadequate components:
    1. by the employee prior to each use; and
    2. periodically as recommended by the manufacturer’s specifications (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.5(1)).
  14. If the inspection reveals a defect or inadequacy, no one may use the personal fall-protection system and no employer or contractor may permit its use until the defect or inadequacy has been eliminated (OHS General Reg, Sec. 50.5(2)).

NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

NOVA SCOTIA

“Rope access” means a method of using ropes, in combination with other devices, for one 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:

    1. descending or ascending a working line to get to or from the work area,
    2. work positioning (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.1).
    3. “Rope access system” means a system used to position a person to conduct rope access (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.1).
  2. An equivalent CSA standard may be substituted for an ANSI or CEN standard required by this Part (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.4).
  3. An employer must ensure that work is not conducted using rope access unless the employer has adopted one of the following as a code of practice for the work:
    1. the International Code of Practiceas modified by the Regs;
    2. a written safe-work procedure that meets the requirements below that is approved in writing by the Director and provides for an adequate level of safety (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.5(1)).
  4. A written safe-work procedure adopted for the purposes of the above must be based on a hazard assessment of the work typically performed by the employer and must include all of the following:
    1. the type and scope of hazard assessment that will be undertaken to identify potential hazards, including how it will be conducted;
    2. appropriate methods that will be used for controlling and eliminating typical hazards;
    3. 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;
    4. how the rope access system and other equipment, including PPE, will be selected to ensure it’s appropriate for its intended use;
    5. how selected equipment will be maintained and inspected;
    6. 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;
    7. the process to be followed in establishing a rope access safe-work plan, including any consultation to be undertaken in developing the plan;
    8. the processes that will be put in place for:
      1. rescue operations and other emergencies, including the equipment and personnel that will be available, and
      2. protecting third parties (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.5(1)).
    9. An employer must ensure that only rope access technicians engage in rope access work at a workplace (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.7).
    10. 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 (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.8(1)).
    11. An employer must keep a record that documents how a rope access technician qualifies as a competent person under the regulations and ensure a copy of the record is available at the workplace at all times (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.8(2)).
    12. Except as provided in Section 1.16for 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 (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.9(1)).
    13. 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:
      1. a list of the potential hazards associated with the work to be performed and their associated risks;
      2. how the hazards will be eliminated or controlled;
      3. the rope access system to be used at the work area;
      4. the procedures to be used to assemble, maintain, inspect, use, and disassemble the rope access system;
      5. a list of persons who will be working in the work area, including each person’s name and their duties;
      6. the appropriate PPE to be used to perform the work;
      7. an emergency response plan, including rescue operations, to be followed at the work area;
      8. an access and rigging plan for how to rig the ropes and gain access to the work position (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.9(2)).
    14. A rope access technician must keep a hard copy logbook that meets all of the following criteria:
      1. it has the name of the rope access technician written on it;
      2. it is permanently bound;
      3. it has consecutively numbered pages (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.10(1)).
    15. A rope access technician must keep their logbook at a work area at all times when they’re at the work area (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.10(2)).
    16. 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 (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.10(3)).
    17. Each entry in a rope access technician’s logbook must include all of the following information:
      1. the date of the work;
      2. the geographic location of the work;
      3. the name of their employer;
      4. the name of the supervisor for the work;
      5. the type of rope access equipment used;
      6. the time the work began;
      7. the duration of the work;
      8. the type of work performed;
      9. any accident, near miss, or unusual incident that occurred and has the potential to affect health or safety;
      10. any factors that they consider relevant to their health or safety (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.10(4)).
    18. A rope access technician must keep their logbook for at least two years after the date of the last entry in the logbook (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.10(5)).
    19. An employer must ensure a rope access technician keeps a logbook in accordance with this Section (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.10(6)).
    20. 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:
      1. The latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.1, “Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint”.
      2. The latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.10, “Full Body Harnesses”.
      3. The latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.11, “Energy Absorbers and Lanyards”.
      4. The latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.12, “Connecting Components for Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS)”.
      5. CEN standard EN 567: 1997, “Mountaineering Equipment – Rope clamps – Safety requirements and test methods”.
      6. CEN standard EN 353-2:2002, “Personal protective equipment against falls from height – Part 2: Guided type fall arresters including a flexible anchor line”.
      7. CEN standard EN 341: 1997, “Personal protective equipment against falls from height – Descender devices” (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.11).
    21. 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” (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.12(1)).
    22. 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” (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.12(2)).
    23. 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:
      1. Each other component, and that the safe function of any component does not interfere with the safe function of another component.
      2. The work conditions and conditions of the physical environment under which the equipment is to be used (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.13).
    24. 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:
      1. 22 kN, for non-engineered anchorage.
      2. Two times the maximum arresting force anticipated, for an engineered anchorage (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.14).
    25. 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 (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.15(1)).
    26. Protective headwear required by the above must be appropriate to the hazards and must meet the requirements of at least one of the following:
      1. The latest version of CSA standard CSA Z94.1, “Industrial Protective Headwear”.
      2. The latest version of ANSI standard ANSI Z89.1, “American National Standard for Industrial Head Protection”.
      3. CEN standard EN 12492, “Mountaineering equipment – Helmets for mountaineers – Safety requirements and test methods” (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.15(2)).
    27. A rope access technician must wear protective headwear in accordance with this Section (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.15(3)).
    28. An employer must ensure that working lines and safety lines used in a rope access system meet all of the following conditions:
      1. The working line and safety line of the system must be the same diameter.
      2. A safety, secondary, belay, or backup line of the system must be used when the working line is the primary means of support.
      3. 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 (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.16(1)).
    29. Clauses (a) and (b) above don’t prohibit both the working line and safety line from being attached to a single harness attachment point (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.16(2)).
    30. 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 (OHS WHS Regs, Sec. 22.16(3)).

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

NUNAVUT

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

ONTARIO

Current OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

However, on August 21, 2026, the Ontario Ministry of Labour (MOL) concluded public consultations on new standalone regulations for rope access work safety. Key features of the proposal, which hasn’t yet been finalized or turned into an actual OHS regulation:

  1. “Rope access” defined as a technique by which access is gained to structures, geologic features, or locations where ropes are the primary means of support, work positioning, and fall prevention.
  2. “Rope access system” is defined as an assembly of ropes and components joined together so that there are two separately secured means of supporting the worker comprising of a working rope and a safety or back-up rope that are connected to the worker’s harness and each rope is independently secured to separate anchorage points.
  3. The rope access regulation will apply to all workplaces to which the OHSA applies, except when a rope access system is used by:
  4. An emergency responder performing rescue and other emergency services, or in training to perform such work, which could include police and fire fighters.
  5. A worker, such as an arborist, who climbs trees for purposes of pruning, repairing, or maintaining a tree or for tree removal.
  6. An instructor or guide for recreational climbing or mountaineering activities.
  7. A worker who is a performer in the entertainment and advertising industry during a performance or rehearsal of a performance.
  8. Workers must at least 18 years of age to perform rope access work, which is in line with the minimum age in the Window Cleaning Regulation.
  9. The regulation would permit variations to procedures, or the composition, design, size, or arrangement of material, objects, devices or things required by the regulation if the variation affords equal or greater protection, and if written notice is provided to the joint health and safety committee or health and safety representative, if any, and to any trade union representing workers at the workplace.
  10. Requirements for training and certification would not be subject to variation.
  11. An employer must electronically notify the MOL of a rope access operation at least 24 hours before the operation and provide the following information:
  12. name of the company,
  13. contact number,
  14. name of the on-site supervisor,
  15. location of work,
  16. date of commencement of work,
  17. expected duration of the operation, and
  18. number of workers who will use a rope access system.
  19. The employer would also have to notify the MOL of any changes to the above information.
  20. Employers would have to ensure that workers have IRATA or SPRAT certification and training appropriate for the work.
  21. Supervisors would be required to have the appropriate IRATA or SPRAT certification and training as required by IRATA or SPRAT. (Note: IRATA requires rope access supervisors to be certified to IRATA Level 3 and SPRAT requires rope access supervisors to be certified to SPRAT Level 3 or SPRAT Level 2 in limited circumstances.)
  22. Every worker using a rope access system who’s suspended on the ropes would have to receive adequate supervision from a supervisor.
  23. A supervisor would have to inspect the rigging of a rope access system for signs of wear, fatigue, or other damage before it’s put into use at a workplace for the first time, and subsequently, daily before a worker uses the rope access system, and before it’s used after any modifications to the system.
  24. The rope access system could not be used unless the supervisor determines that the rigging is safe to use.
  25. A record of the inspections would have to be kept at the workplace by the employer and be available to an inspector upon request while the rope access system is in use.
  26. Before any rope access work can begin, the employer must have a competent person:
  27. Prepare written procedures for the emergency rescue of workers using a rope access system.
  28. Conduct a risk assessment of the work to identify hazards that may arise from the use of each rope access system used at the workplace, with reference to the nature of the workplace, the type of work, and the conditions of work.
  29. Prepare a written site-specific work plan.
  30. The site-specific work plan would have to include:
  31. address of the workplace and, if applicable, a clear description of every distinct work area at that workplace to which the plan applies;
  32. the name and assigned duties of every worker who performs work in connection with the rope access operation;
  33. measures and procedures to protect the health and safety of every worker who performs work in connection with the rope access operation;
  34. measures to protect ropes from sharp edges, cutting, burning, or other damage;
  35. measures to protect ropes, anchorages, anchorage connectors, and equipment from interference that could endanger the worker using the rope access system by machinery, equipment, or unauthorized persons that could endanger the worker using the rope access system;
  36. the rope access system to be used, including equipment and devices;
  37. the location of the anchorages and anchorage connectors that the rope access system is to be attached to and how the rope access system is to be attached to associated anchorages and anchorage connectors;
  38. the procedures to be used for the set up and dismantling of the rope access system;
  39. the written procedures for the emergency rescue of workers from a rope access system; and,
  40. the methods to be used for clear and direct communication between workers performing work in connection with a rope access operation.
  41. Before a worker begins installing or using a rope access system, the employer would have to ensure that workers are provided access to the relevant site-specific work plan, that the supervisor or employer reviews it with the workers, and that the workers acknowledge that they reviewed the plan and are familiar with its contents.
  42. Workers would be required to follow the plan.
  43. The employer would have to keep the site-specific work plan at the workplace while rope access work is being performed and ensure it’s implemented.
  44. The work plan would have to be reviewed as often as is necessary, and if necessary, be modified following any such review.
  45. A rope access system would need to:
  46. have a working rope and safety/back-up rope that are connected to the worker’s full-body harness and that are each separately secured to an independent anchorage point that meets the requirements of the regulation;
  47. be made up of components that are adequate for their intended and actual use and compatible with each other and the environment in which they’re used;
  48. limit the peak shock load when stopping the worker's fall to not more than 6 kN; and
  49. prevent a worker from striking a lower surface or object or swinging and striking a surface or object.
  50. No component of a rope access system could be subjected to a load that may exceed its designed working load.
  51. Connectors used in a rope access system would have to be self-closing and self-locking and require at least two sequential actions to open.
  52. Descent control devices used in a rope access system would have to automatically stop descent and hold the worker in position when the worker removes their hand from the device.
  53. The working rope and safety/back-up rope would need to be:
  54. the same diameter;
  55. connected to separate anchorage connectors;
  56. separately fixed or connected to the worker’s full-body harness; and
  57. have a minimum breaking strength after terminations (i.e., knots) of 15 kN.
  58. Rope access equipment and devices would have to be inspected before each use by a competent worker, and used, adjusted, maintained, inspected, and tested in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
  59. The equipment and devices could not be used if defective or damaged, after being subjected to a shock load, or when the weather or other conditions are such that its use is likely to endanger a worker.
  60. The rope in a rope access system would have to be independently/separately protected from sharp edges that could cut, chafe, or abrade the rope or cause other damage to it.
  61. Each rope would have to be protected from any damage from the work being performed while a worker is using the rope access system.
  62. Anchorages would have to be capable of withstanding any loads to which they may be subjected.
  63. Anchorage connectors would have to be capable of supporting potential loads in all directions and have a minimum breaking strength of 15 kN.
  64. A worker performing work in connection with a rope access operation and who’s exposed to the danger of falling more than three metres would need to be protected by a guardrail or method of fall protection.
  65. The worker would also be required to have a climbing-style helmet with a chin strap that’s appropriate in the circumstances to protect against head injury and electrical hazards.
  66. The workers necessary to implement the on-site rescue procedures would have to be onsite.
  67. The rescue equipment would have to have been installed prior to work and inspected by the supervisor and a competent worker daily and as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
  68. The employer would have to ensure that equipment, devices, or tools at or about a rope access operation that could fall and endanger a person are tethered, and if necessary, other measures and procedures are implemented to protect any person from falling objects, which could include barricading areas where dropped objects could fall.
  69. A competent person would have to thoroughly examine rope access equipment before its first use and thereafter as per the manufacturer’s instructions, but at least every six months.
  70. Workers would be required to keep a personal log recording work experience and time in writing.
  71. Employers would have to allow workers to take the log with them when they change employers.
  72. Supervisors would have to verify and sign off on the entries in the worker’s personal log.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

QUÉBEC

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

SASKATCHEWAN

OHS regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.

YUKON

WSC regulations don’t specifically address rope access work safety.