Provision of Fall Arrest System Didn’t Negate Need for Guardrail

A marine OHS inspector inspected a Coast Guard vessel and observed an elevated platform that had a fall arrest system but no guardrail. So he issued a violation for the lack of guardrail, which the employer appealed. The OHS Tribunal upheld the violation. Although it applauded the employer for having a fall arrest system on the platform, it explained that if a raised structure to which a worker has access also serves as a work area and allows for a fall of more than 1.2 m, it’s required to have a guardrail despite the provision of fall protection [Fisheries and Oceans Canada – Canadian Coast Guard, [2012] OHSTC 13, April 19, 2012].