J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Act, s. 25(2)(h) general duty (Occupational Health and Safety Act [ON], 1990, s. 25); Reg. 851, Industrial Establishments, s. 85 (Industrial Establishments [ON], 2026, s. 85); O. Reg. 213/91, Construction Projects, s. 26 and following, on construction projects only (Construction Projects [ON], 2026, s. 26); O. Reg. 297/13, working at heights training, construction only (Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training [ON], 2026, ss. 6-8); O. Reg. 343/22, Firefighter Certification (Firefighter Certification [ON], 2026, s. 2, Table 1). Guidance: Section 21 guidance notes 1-5, 4-11, 6-4, 6-14, 6-29, 6-40 and 7-7 (MLITSD, n.d.).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. Where a worker may fall to a surface “more than three metres below”, a serviceable safety belt or harness and lifeline secured to a fixed support, with free fall limited to 1.5 m, capacity for twice the load and energy, and a shock absorber limiting the arrest force to 8.0 kN (Industrial Establishments [ON], 2026, s. 85).
• Construction projects. On a project (for example a station renovation by department staff), O. Reg. 213/91 applies its own triggers, guardrails and written instructions (s. 26 and following), and workers need an approved working at heights training program, valid for three years from completion (Occupational Health and Safety Awareness and Training [ON], 2026, ss. 7-8).
• Aerial ladders. Guidance: a ladder belt used as a work-positioning device on aerial ladders; travel restraint anchors of at least 2 kN and fall-arrest and fall-restricting anchors of at least 8 kN (MLITSD, n.d., GN 4-11).
• Life safety rope. Guidance: a complete use history for each rope, reuse criteria (no damage, no heat, flame, abrasion, impact load or chemical exposure, inspection before and after each use), and retirement on doubt (MLITSD, n.d., GN 1-5).
• Rope rescue certification. A department that provides rope rescue must have its members certified to NFPA 1006 (2021) chapter 5 at the Operations (5.2) or Technician (5.3) level for that service from 2028-07-01 (Firefighter Certification [ON], 2026, Table 1, items 30-31).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency relief. Section 85 applies in stations and on training towers; at emergency scenes inspectors apply the general duty to take “every precaution reasonable in the circumstances”, with the Section 21 notes as the benchmark, although the notes say they do not replace the law (MLITSD, n.d.).
• Guidance note 6-4 names skill fade as the main rope rescue hazard and calls for regular, ongoing practice.
• No rope access regulation reaches fire department rescue work.

Status. Verified against the official text (e-Laws, current to 2026-10-20): Reg. 851 s. 85 and O. Reg. 343/22 Table 1 read on 2026-10-23; O. Reg. 213/91 ss. 26 to 26.3 and O. Reg. 297/13 ss. 7 to 8 read on 2026-10-24; guidance notes read.

Law. Regulation respecting occupational health and safety, ss. 33.1 to 33.3 (when and how workers are protected) and ss. 347 to 354 (harnesses, connectors, anchorages and nets) (Regulation respecting occupational health and safety [QC], 2026, ss. 33.1-33.3, 347-354). Construction sites follow the Safety Code for the construction industry.

What must be covered.

• Trigger. Workers must be protected where they risk falling “more than 3 m unless they are only using a means of access or exit”; into a liquid or dangerous substance; onto a moving component or dangerous equipment or material; and “from a height of 1,5 m or more” into a well, basin, tank, reservoir, vat or container, or while handling a load (s. 33.1).
• Measures. Change the work position; guardrails or a restraint system; collective devices such as safety nets; a harness with a fall-arrest connecting device and, where needed, a positioning means; or another equally safe means (s. 33.2). Guardrails on open roof sides over liquids or dangerous substances (s. 33.3).
• Equipment. A full body harness to CSA Z259.10, with the assembly limiting the arrest force to 6 kN or the free fall to 1.8 m (s. 347); a lanyard and shock absorber to Z259.11, no more than 2 m long, or other listed connecting devices (s. 348).
• Anchors. A single anchorage point with a breaking strength of at least 18 kN, or one designed by an engineer to CSA Z259.16 at twice the maximum arrest force, or certified to EN 795 or CSA Z259.15; horizontal lifelines to listed minimums or engineered (s. 349); one person per anchor except continuous systems (s. 349.1).
• Written plan and training interval. None found in the regulation.

Fire-service nuance.

• No firefighter or emergency relief was found. The regulation applies to the fire service as an establishment, and the CNESST enforces through investigation reports and correction notices (see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations).
• A department providing rope rescue should adopt NFPA 2500 and NFPA 1006 by policy (NFPA 1006, 2021; NFPA 2500, 2022).

Status. Partly verified: ss. 33.1-33.3 and 347-354 read in the consolidation of 2026-07-01. The absence of a plan rule, a training interval and an emergency relief is not exhaustively confirmed, and construction-site rules were not read.

Law. General Regulation 91-191, ss. 49 to 50.5 (fall protection), s. 124 (portable ladders) and ss. 51.8 to 51.9 (firefighters’ rope and harnesses) (General Regulation: Occupational Health and Safety Act [NB], 2026, ss. 49-50.5, 51.8-51.9, 124). Interpretation: WorkSafeNB on training and s. 49(6)(b) (WorkSafeNB, n.d.-a).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A fall-protection system, continually used, when working from an unguarded area 3 m or more above water or the nearest permanent safe level, or at any height above a surface or object that could cause injury or above an open-top tank, bin, hopper or vat; from a work area 3 m or more up that may tip or fail; or where an officer requires it (s. 49(1)).
• Fall arrest. An anchor point capable of withstanding 22 kN or, if used under the direction of a competent person, four times the maximum load the system may generate; free fall no more than 1.8 m and a shock level on the body of no more than 8 kN; a written rescue procedure before any use of fall arrest, with workers trained in it (s. 49.2).
• Order of precedence. Guardrail, travel restraint or fall restricting system, then fall arrest, then a control zone where a system is not practical (s. 50(1)-(4)).
• Code of practice. A written fall-protection code of practice where workers are at 7.5 m or more, where “employees are performing rope access work other than rope access work for emergency rescue purposes”, where a safety monitor is used for weatherproofing, or where an officer requires it; developed with the committee and available before work begins (s. 50.2).
• Training. By a competent person, with a written record of the worker, date, trainer and agency; the employer reviews with the committee or representative, annually or more often, whether retraining is needed (s. 50.3(4)).
• Equipment. The CSA Z259 parts named in s. 49.1(2), including Z259.10-18, Z259.11-17, Z259.12-16, Z259.2.2-17, Z259.15-12 and Z259.16-04.
• Firefighters’ rope and aerial harness. Ropes, harnesses and hardware for structural fire-fighting or rescue meet NFPA 1983 (1995) (s. 51.8(1)); “When working from an aerial device, a firefighter engaged in structural fire-fighting or rescue shall use a body harness that meets or exceeds NFPA 1983” (s. 51.8(2)); a used harness is removed from service and inspected by a competent person (s. 51.9).

Fire-service nuance.

• The relief, verbatim. Section 49 “does not apply … (b) where a firefighter is engaged in structural fire-fighting” (s. 49(6)(b)), and the order-of-precedence section “does not apply where a firefighter is engaged in structural fire-fighting or rescue” (s. 50(5)). The duty to use fall protection is lifted only for structural fire-fighting as defined (rescue, suppression and property conservation at fires in buildings, structures, vehicles, vessels and aircraft); non-fire rescue, roof work at non-fire calls and station maintenance trigger the 3 m rule.
• Training is not structural fire-fighting. WorkSafeNB’s interpretation says the exemption does not cover training, except evolutions that simulate emergency situations to teach alternative methods of protection, which are treated as structural fire-fighting (WorkSafeNB, n.d.-a).
• Rope access for emergency rescue is outside the code-of-practice duty in s. 50.2, but the s. 49.2 rescue procedure and s. 50.3 training record still apply to rope work that is not structural fire-fighting.
• A worker on a portable ladder at 3 m or more may work without fall protection only for light, short tasks under conditions (s. 124(3)).

Status. Verified against the official text (consolidated to 2026-06-30): ss. 49, 49.2, 50, 50.2, 50.3 and 51.8 read on 2026-10-23 and 2026-10-24; WorkSafeNB’s interpretation read.

Law. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, Part 1 (s. 1.16), Part 21 (fall protection, ss. 21.1 to 21.22), Part 22 (work requiring rope access) and s. 23.13 (elevating work platforms) (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [NS], 2025, ss. 1.2, 1.16, 21.2-21.22, 22.2-22.14, 23.13); Occupational Safety General Regulations, Part 16, ss. 198 to 199 (Occupational Safety General Regulations [NS], 2025, ss. 198-199).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. Fall protection where the fall distance is 3 m or more above the nearest safe surface or water, or at any height where the surface below could cause worse injury than a flat solid surface or exposes a hazardous material; not for entering or leaving by a safe means of access; only where reasonably practicable for work on or from vehicles and mobile equipment and for ladder work without three-point contact, with an alternate control otherwise (s. 21.2).
• Written procedure and plan. A written fall-protection safe-work procedure where the maximum fall distance is under 7.5 m (s. 21.3); a written safe-work plan for a specific work area where it is 7.5 m or more, including clearance, swing fall, inspection and written rescue procedures (s. 21.4).
• Training. Before first use and “once at least every 3 years”, by a competent instructor with an evaluation, on prescribed topics, with records of name, dates, instructor, employer and expiry and a signed card available at the workplace (ss. 21.19-21.22).
• Equipment and anchors. CSA Z259 series for harnesses, belts, lanyards, lifelines, self-retracting devices and connectors (ss. 21.8-21.18); anchorage 22 kN for a non-engineered anchorage or twice the anticipated maximum arresting force for an engineered one (s. 21.15).
• Rope access (Part 22). The Part “applies to any workplace where rope access methods are used to perform work or to train for work” (s. 22.2): a code of practice adopted before any rope access work, with processes for “rescue operations and other emergencies” (s. 22.5); a competent rope access technician who keeps a logbook (ss. 22.8, 22.10); a rope access safe-work plan for a specific work area, with an emergency response plan (s. 22.9); equipment to the code of practice or listed CSA and CEN standards (s. 22.11); anchorages as in Part 21 (s. 22.14).
• Firefighters’ rope and aerial harness. Ropes, body harnesses and hardware for structural fire-fighting or rescue meet NFPA 1983, now NFPA 2500 (s. 198(1)); a firefighter working from an aerial device in structural fire-fighting or rescue uses an NFPA 1983 harness (s. 198(2)), or equipment meeting Part 21 or Part 23 of the Workplace Health and Safety Regulations (s. 198(3)); a used harness is inspected by a competent person before reuse (s. 199). Fall-arrest equipment is worn and anchored before an elevating work platform is operated (s. 23.13(4)).

Fire-service nuance.

• The relief, verbatim. “An employer who is an emergency services agency is not required to establish a specific written fall-protection safe-work plan or rope access safe-work plan for a specific work area when responding to an emergency if they (a) have established the following applicable procedures for the work: (i) a fall protection safe-work procedure under Section 21.3, (ii) a code of practice for rope access work under Section 22.5; and (b) they train to and comply with the procedures in clause (a) and standard protocols for emergency services work applicable to a work area where a person is at a risk of falling” (s. 1.16). “Emergency services agency” expressly includes fire departments (s. 1.2).
• Part 21 applies at incidents. The relief lifts only the site-specific plan, only when responding to an emergency, and only for a department that has the generic procedure, the rope access code of practice and the training. Training, station work and pre-planned standby get no relief.
• Part 22 reaches training: rope work on a training tower needs the code of practice, competent technicians and logbooks.
• The three-year retraining cycle and signed card apply to volunteer members; it is the requirement small departments most often miss.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (ss. 1.2, 1.16, 21.3, 21.4, 21.15, 21.19, 22.2-22.14 and 23.13 read in the consolidation to NS Reg 163/2025; ss. 198-199 read on 2026-10-22).

Law. Fall Protection Regulations, ss. 1 to 10 (Occupational Health and Safety Act Fall Protection Regulations [PE], 2021, ss. 1-10); General Regulations, Part 23 (portable ladders) (Occupational Health and Safety Act General Regulations [PE], 2025, ss. 23.1-23.10).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A work area 3 m or more above the nearest safe surface or water, or above a surface or thing that could injure, or above an open tank, pit or vat of hazardous material; accepted means are fall arrest, guardrail, safety net, temporary flooring or an equivalent (s. 2(1)).
• Vehicles and ladders. Work on or from a vehicle or mobile equipment, or from a ladder where three-point contact is impracticable, needs protection “only where and to the extent that is reasonably practicable” (s. 2(4)).
• Written plan. Required whenever fall arrest or a safety net is used, covering assembly, maintenance, inspection, use and disassembly and the rescue of a suspended worker (s. 3(11)).
• Training. By a competent person; no refresher interval; records kept for the period of employment plus 2 years (s. 2.1). A competent person inspects the system before each shift (s. 3(5)).
• Equipment. CSA Z259.1-05, Z259.2.2-17, Z259.2.4-15, Z259.2.5-17, Z259.10-18, Z259.11-17, Z259.12-16, Z259.13-16 and Z259.16-15.
• Water. Where a fall risks drowning: a rescue boat, a life buoy with 15 m of line, a boat hook, an alarm and trained rescuers (s. 10).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency-services relief; the Director may waive the regulations for a workplace or work area (s. 1(3.1)). A department that relies on a waiver should have it in writing.
• Rope rescue and roof work need written plans with rescue procedures whenever fall arrest is used; work on apparatus tops falls under the “reasonably practicable” exception, which should be justified in writing.
• No fire-service OHS regulation or guidance exists; there is no aerial harness rule (see J12 Fire Service OHS Rules and Fireground Operations).

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Fall Protection Regulations consolidated to 2021-03-06; General Regulations to 2025-01-01).

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, Part 11 (fall protection, ss. 11.1 to 11.10), Part 31 (firefighting, ss. 31.5 and 31.17), Part 32 (evacuation and rescue, ss. 32.2 to 32.7) and Part 34 (rope access, ss. 34.1 to 34.7) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulation [BC], 2026, ss. 11.1-11.10, 31.5, 31.17, 32.2-32.7, 34.1-34.7). WorkSafeBC’s Part 31 guidelines are the regulator’s published interpretation (WorkSafeBC, n.d.).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A fall protection system where a fall of 3 m (10 ft) or more may occur, or where a fall from less than 3 m involves a risk of injury greater than the risk from impact on a flat surface (s. 11.2(1)).
• Order of controls. Guardrails or similar restraint where practicable; then another restraint system; then a fall arrest system or a rope access system meeting Part 34; then work procedures acceptable to WorkSafeBC (s. 11.2(2)-(5)).
• Written plan. Required where workers are not protected by permanent guardrails and a fall of 7.5 m (25 ft) or more may occur, or where procedures replace equipment under s. 11.2(5); the plan must be at the workplace before work with a risk of falling begins (s. 11.3).
• Training. Before a worker enters an area with a risk of falling, instruction in the system and procedures for that area (s. 11.2(6)). Part 11 sets no retraining interval or record.
• Equipment. A full body harness for fall arrest (s. 11.4); components compatible and meeting “an applicable CSA or ANSI standard in effect when the equipment was manufactured” (s. 11.5); inspection by a qualified person before use on each shift (s. 11.9); removal from service after arresting a fall until recertified by the manufacturer or a professional engineer (s. 11.10).
• Anchors. Temporary restraint anchors 3.5 kN (800 lb) or four times the worker’s weight; temporary arrest anchors 22 kN (5,000 lb) or twice the maximum arrest force; permanent anchors 22 kN; an independent attachment point for each worker (s. 11.6). Permanent anchors, multi-point anchors, permanent horizontal lifelines and net supports are certified by a professional engineer (s. 11.8).
• Aerial devices. A firefighter on an aerial ladder wears a safety belt and lanyard to CSA Z259.1-95, with the lanyard limiting a fall to 30 cm (12 in) (s. 31.17(1)); on an aerial platform, a full body harness and lanyard meeting Part 11 (s. 31.17(2)).
• Rescue rope and hardware. Rescue ropes, rappelling lines, belts, harnesses, rope grabs, lowering devices and related equipment meet NFPA 1983 (1990 edition) (s. 31.17(3)); WorkSafeBC’s guideline accepts later editions (WorkSafeBC, n.d.).
• Rope rescue (Part 32). Designated rescue workers are adequately trained, with simulated rescue exercises, regular retraining and training records (s. 32.2); harnesses meet UIAA, NFPA or CSA standards (s. 32.3); rescue ropes are low-stretch kernmantle or equivalent with a 10:1 safety factor on a 140 kg (300 lb) one-person load when new, replaced at the manufacturer’s interval and never later than 5 years, with an independent belay where practicable (s. 32.4); ropes and equipment are inspected after each use and withdrawn after overstress, temperatures above 150 °C or chemical damage (s. 32.5); maintenance records list the maker, date in service, each use, inspections, damage and maintenance (s. 32.6); at least one rescue team member is a first aid attendant (s. 32.7).
• Written procedures. Where applicable to the service, written procedures for rescue from high angles (s. 31.5(2)).
• Rope access (Part 34). Part 34 “does not apply to … (c) firefighters and firefighting activities under Part 31; (d) evacuation and rescue, and training in such procedures, under Part 32” (s. 34.2(2)). If the department uses rope access for other work, such as maintaining a tower, Part 34 applies: a written rope access plan (s. 34.3), training and certification to IRATA, SPRAT or other listed bodies (s. 34.4), a two-rope system (s. 34.6) and a personal log (s. 34.7).

Fire-service nuance.

• The relief, verbatim. “The incident commander may depart from the requirements of Part 11 (Fall Protection) to use a fall protection system if, in the incident commander’s opinion, such compliance is not practicable or may create a greater hazard, but subsections (1) to (3) of this section must be complied with” (s. 31.17(4)). It lifts Part 11 only, on the incident commander’s judgment; the aerial belt, platform harness and NFPA rope rules always apply.
• The relief is written for an incident commander at an emergency incident. Treat training, station work and maintenance as fully covered by Part 11.
• From 2026-10-01 Part 31, including s. 31.17, also reaches fire brigades run by a board, society or commission on behalf of a local government, and fire personnel (WorkSafeBC, 2026a); municipal brigades, volunteer members included, were already covered.
• Part 31 does not apply to forest fire fighting (s. 31.2); see J35 Wildland and Interface Fire.
• WorkSafeBC reports a periodic-certification amendment for equipment in several Parts, including Part 31, due 2027-09-01 (WorkSafeBC, 2026b).

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Parts 11, 31, 32 and 34, regulation current to 2026-10-20). The guideline’s accepted NFPA editions and the 2027 amendment are not confirmed.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Code, Part 8 (s. 137, portable ladders), Part 9 (fall protection, ss. 138 to 161), Part 41 (work requiring rope access, ss. 805 to 827) and s. 128 (ladders on extending booms) (Occupational Health and Safety Code [AB], 2025, ss. 128, 137-152.1, 805-827). Guidance, not law: OHS guide for firefighting (Government of Alberta, 2019).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. An employer and a supervisor must ensure a worker is protected from falling 3 m or more at a temporary or permanent work area; less than 3 m where there is an “unusual possibility of injury” (an injury worse than landing on a solid, flat surface); into or onto a hazardous substance or object or through an opening; and more than 1.2 m and less than 3 m at a permanent work area (s. 139(1)-(2)).
• Order of controls. Guardrail; travel restraint; personal fall arrest system; equally effective controls (s. 139(3)-(7)). The worker must use the system (s. 139(8)).
• Written plan. Required where a worker may fall 3 m or more and is not protected by guardrails; it names the fall hazards, the system, the anchors, the clearance check, the assembly, maintenance, inspection, use and disassembly procedures, and “the rescue procedures to be used if a worker falls and is suspended” (s. 140(1)-(2)). The plan is at the work site, reviewed with workers before work begins and updated when conditions change (s. 140(3)-(4)).
• Training. Before a worker works where fall protection is required, with listed content including legislation, the plan, hazard identification, anchor selection, connecting hardware and the effect of a fall on the body (s. 141). No refresher interval and no record rule.
• Equipment. CSA Z259 parts named in Part 9, including Z259.10-18 harnesses, Z259.11-17 energy absorbers and lanyards, Z259.2.2-17 self-retracting devices (ss. 142-145), Z259.13-04 horizontal lifelines and Z259.16-04 design (s. 153); NFPA 1983 (2006 edition), general or light duty, is accepted for descent control and rope adjustment devices (ss. 146, 148.1). Connecting components to Z259.12-16 are named in the rope access Part (s. 835).
• Arrest limits. Free fall no more than 1.2 m without a shock absorber; maximum arresting force 6 kN, or 8 kN with an E6 shock absorber (s. 151).
• Anchors. Permanent anchors installed since 2009-07-01: 16 kN per worker or twice the maximum arresting force (s. 152); temporary restraint anchors 3.5 kN per worker; temporary fall arrest anchors 16 kN or twice the maximum arresting force (s. 152.1).
• Portable ladders. A personal fall arrest system for work from a portable ladder at 3 m or more, except while climbing and for light short tasks under listed conditions (s. 137).
• Rope access (Part 41). A rope access safe work plan where a worker may fall 3 m or more (ss. 808-810); safe work practices including rescue (s. 811); training before use (s. 812); inspection before each shift (s. 815); static rope approved to EN 1891 Type A, NFPA 1983 (2006) or UIAA 107 (s. 817); prompt rescue and self-rescue training (ss. 821-822); for industrial rope access, IRATA, SPRAT or ARAA practice, at least 2 trained workers present and a logbook (ss. 823-827).

Fire-service nuance.

• The relief, verbatim. “Rescue personnel involved in training or in providing emergency rescue services may use equipment, personal protective equipment and practices other than those specified in this Part” (s. 138). The rope access Part has the same wording: “Workers involved in emergency rescue services or training for the purpose of emergency rescue may use equipment, personal protective equipment and practices other than those specified in this Part” (s. 806).
• Alberta’s is the only fall-protection relief in Canada that names training. It allows other equipment and practices; it does not remove the duty to protect. The provincial guide says s. 138 “does not exempt firefighters from using fall protection equipment and practices” (Government of Alberta, 2019).
• The relief sits in Part 9 and Part 41 only. The portable ladder rule in s. 137 (Part 8) still applies, and firefighting at height that is not rescue (for example roof ventilation) is not clearly “providing emergency rescue services” (an interpretation; confirm with Alberta OHS).
• The rule that no worker is on a boom-mounted ladder while it articulates, extends or retracts “does not apply to professional firefighters working on fire-fighting equipment” (s. 128(2)); whether “professional” includes volunteers is not stated.
• The Code has no aerial ladder belt rule; vehicle-mounted aerial devices meet CSA C225 (see J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices).
• Station and maintenance work at 3 m or more needs the written plan in s. 140.

Status. Verified against the official text (Code consolidated to 2025-03-31): ss. 128, 137-153 and 805-835 read on 2026-10-23 and 2026-10-24, including the standards named in ss. 142-148.1, 153 and 835; the guide is guidance.

Law. The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, Part 9 (ss. 9-1 to 9-5), Part 7 (ss. 7-15 to 7-21), s. 12-25 (aerial devices) and s. 32-13 (firefighters’ ropes and harnesses) (The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 [SK], 2021, ss. 7-16, 9-2-9-5, 12-25, 32-13); the ministry’s Approved Standards and Practices list (Government of Saskatchewan, n.d.-a).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A fall protection system where a worker may fall 3 m or more, or a shorter distance where the fall could cause injury (s. 9-2(2)); guardrails at permanent work areas for falls of more than 1.2 m and less than 3 m (s. 9-2(3)).
• Written plan. Where a worker may fall 3 m or more and is not protected by a guardrail: the hazards, the system, the procedures, and rescue procedures (s. 9-3(1)-(3)).
• Training. In the plan and system before work begins (s. 9-3(4)); no retraining interval or record rule.
• Control zones. At least 2 m wide from an unguarded edge (s. 9-4).
• Anchors. Temporary restraint anchors 3.5 kN per worker; permanent restraint anchors on new construction 8.75 kN; fall arrest anchors 22.2 kN per worker; permanent anchors and horizontal lifelines certified or to the manufacturer’s specifications (s. 9-5).
• Arrest limits. Free fall 1.2 m without a shock absorber and 2 m with one; peak force 8 kN (s. 7-16).
• Equipment. The approved list names CSA Z259.2.2, Z259.2.4, Z259.2.5, Z259.10, Z259.11, Z259.12, Z259.13, Z259.15, Z259.16 and ANSI/ASSP Z359.11 (Government of Saskatchewan, n.d.-a).
• Aerial devices. An aerial ladder is an “aerial device”; a worker raised on one uses a personal fall arrest system attached to a lanyard point built to the approved standard, CSA Z259.16:21, or certified by an engineer (ss. 12-1, 12-25(2)(h)-(i)).
• Rescue rope. Firefighters’ ropes, harnesses and hardware must be approved (s. 32-13); the approved list names NFPA 1983 (2017) and NFPA 1858 (2018) (Government of Saskatchewan, n.d.-a).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency-services relief. The only exemptions in s. 9-2(6) are for steel and precast connectors, scaffold connection, load securing, anchor installation and loading docks up to 1.2 m.
• Part 32 applies to full-time and part-time firefighters; unpaid volunteers are workers under the Act only for the harassment and violence duties, so apply Part 9 to every member as policy (see J11 Volunteer Firefighters).
• No rope access Part was found in the regulations.
• The regulations’ consolidation shows no amendment after 2021; the approved list is updated separately.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (consolidation last updated 2021-04-01; approved list read). The absence of a rope access Part is not confirmed.

Law. Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, Part 14 (fall protection), s. 22.21 (ladders on extending booms), Part 28.1 (rope access) and s. 42.4 (firefighters’ ropes and harnesses) (Workplace Safety and Health Regulation [MB], 2026, ss. 14.1-14.14, 22.21, 28.1.1, 42.3-42.4).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. Part 14 applies where a worker may fall 3 m or more, or less where the landing surface increases the risk, into operating machinery, water or a hazardous substance, through an opening, and more than 1.2 m beside a wheelbarrow path (s. 14.1(1)).
• Written procedures. Safe work procedures whenever Part 14 applies, naming the hazards and, where guardrails or systems are used, their locations, assembly, inspection and use, and rescue procedures (s. 14.2). There is no separate plan threshold.
• Training. By a competent person in the use, care and inspection of the system (s. 14.11); no interval and no Part 14 record (firefighter training is recorded under s. 42.3).
• Equipment. CSA Z259.1-05, Z259.2.1-98, Z259.2.2-17, Z259.2.3:16, Z259.10-18, Z259.11-05, Z259.12-16, Z259.13-16 and Z259.16-15, and ANSI/ASSE A10.11-2010 for nets (s. 14.7(1)(a)); peak arrest force no more than 8 kN (s. 14.13(4)).
• Anchors. Permanent anchorage on a building: 22.2 kN per worker, certified by a professional engineer (s. 14.14(1)); temporary fixed supports: 8 kN static without a shock absorber, 6 kN with one, 2 kN for travel restraint (s. 14.14(2)).
• Aerial ladders. A worker on a ladder attached to an extending boom complies with Part 14 (s. 22.21(2)).
• Firefighters’ equipment. Safety ropes, harnesses and hardware appropriate to the risk and used (s. 42.4(1)).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency relief in Part 14.
• The ban on a worker being on a boom ladder while it moves does not apply to firefighters on firefighting equipment (s. 22.21(3)), but the fall protection duty in s. 22.21(2) still does.
• The rope access Part “does not apply to … (a) firefighters; (b) persons providing emergency response services or search and rescue services” (s. 28.1.1(2)), so rope rescue rests on the department’s own technical rescue procedures, which s. 42.2 requires for high-angle rescue.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (regulation current to 2026-10-20).

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012, Part X (fall protection, ss. 139 to 156) and s. 38(3) (rescue procedures) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 [NL], 2026, ss. 38, 139-156).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A work area “3 metres or more above the nearest safe surface or water”, or above any surface or thing that could injure, or above an open tank, pit or vat of hazardous material (s. 141).
• System requirements. Anchorage or lifeline rated 22.2 kN; free fall limited to 1.22 m unless shock absorption keeps the arrest force under 4 kN; inspection by a qualified person before each shift; removal from service after a fall (s. 142).
• Written plan. Required whenever a fall arrest system or personnel safety net is used, including “the procedure for the rescue of a worker who has fallen and is suspended” (s. 142(10)). A written rescue and evacuation procedure is also required for high-angle work (s. 38(3)).
• Training. No worker may use fall protection equipment without completing “a training program on fall protection prescribed by the commission” (s. 139). WorkplaceNL certificates are valid for three years; from 2027-01-01 an eight-hour Working at Heights standard replaces the sixteen-hour fall protection course (WorkplaceNL, 2026).
• Equipment. CSA Z259.10, Z259.11, Z259.2.2, Z259.2.4, Z259.2.5, Z259.12, Z259.13 and Z259.16, and the Z259 body belt standard (s. 145).
• Ladders. Work from a portable ladder without fall protection only for light, short tasks with the centre of gravity between the rails (s. 154(4)).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency-services relief.
• Annual firefighting retraining is required for workers assigned to firefighting duties (s. 41(3)); add the WorkplaceNL fall protection certificate to each member’s training record and track its expiry.
• Rope and aerial work needs the written plan and rescue procedure (s. 142(10)).

Status. Partly verified: regulations read on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to NLR 48/26). The WorkplaceNL certificate validity and the 2027 change rest on WorkplaceNL notices found by search, not the training standard itself.

Law. Workplace Health and Safety Regulations, Part 1 (ss. 1.37 to 1.43 and 1.60) and Part 11 (s. 11.08) (Workplace Health and Safety Regulations [YT], 2022, ss. 1.37-1.43, 1.60, 11.04, 11.08).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. Fall arrest where guards or guardrails are not practical and a worker may fall 3 m (10 ft) or more, or less where there is an unusual risk; also at pits, machinery, water, utility poles and towers, swing stages and elevating platforms, and on roofs with a slope of 2 vertical in 3 horizontal or more or that are slippery (s. 1.37).
• Written plan. Where a fall of 7.5 m (25 ft) or more may occur and there are no permanent guardrails, covering the hazards, the system, its use and the rescue of a fallen or suspended worker (s. 1.38).
• Equipment. Harnesses to CSA Z259.10-M90, energy absorbers and lanyards to Z259.11-05, belts for restraint to Z259.1-95, vertical lifelines to Z259.2.1-98 (ss. 1.39-1.40); free fall under 1.2 m (s. 1.43); guardrails above 2.4 m (s. 1.60).
• Training. No specific interval; general training records apply.
• Aerial devices. “A firefighter working on an aerial ladder shall wear a safety belt and lanyard that limits a fall to not more than 0.3 m (12 in.)” to CSA Z259.1-05; on an aerial platform, a full body harness and lanyard under Part 1 (s. 11.08(1)-(2)).
• Rescue rope. Rescue ropes, rappelling lines, belts, harnesses, rope grabs, lowering devices and related equipment meet NFPA 1983, current edition (s. 11.08(3)); written procedures for high-angle rescue where the department may do it (s. 11.04(3)).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency-services relief in Part 1. The only firefighter exemption found in Part 1 is chainsaw leg protection at structural fires (s. 1.16).
• Part 11 applies to volunteer firefighting in municipal service and to industrial brigades, but not to forest firefighting (s. 11.02).
• Part 11 cites “current edition” NFPA standards that NFPA has since consolidated (NFPA 1983 into NFPA 2500); confirm with the board which documents now satisfy s. 11.08.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (Part 1 rendering and Part 11 consolidation current to 2022-09-30). Amendments after the captured texts were not checked.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, ss. 103 to 110 and 118 to 122 (fall protection), s. 175 (extending-boom ladders), s. 198 (aerial devices) and s. 488 (firefighters’ ropes and harnesses) (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NT], 2024, ss. 103-122, 175, 198, 488).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A fall protection system where a worker could fall 3 m or more, or less where there is a risk of injury (s. 119(1)); guardrails at permanent work sites for falls between 1.2 m and 3 m (s. 119(2)).
• Written plan. Where a worker could fall 3 m or more and is not protected by a guardrail: hazards, system, procedures and “the rescue procedures to be used if a worker falls or is left suspended” (s. 120(1)-(2)); available before work begins (s. 120(3)).
• Training. In the plan and the safe use of the system before work (s. 120(4)); no retraining interval or record.
• Control zones. At least 2 m wide (s. 121).
• Equipment. Equipment must be “approved”; CSA Z259 is not named. Lifelines fastened to anchors with a breaking strength of at least 22.2 kN (s. 103(1)(f)); arrest limits 1.2 m free fall without a shock absorber, 2 m with one, 8 kN peak (s. 104); anchor capacities for restraint and arrest systems in s. 122.
• Aerial devices. An aerial ladder is an “aerial device”; a worker raised on it uses a personal fall arrest system (s. 198(2)(h)); the ban on being on a boom ladder while it moves does not apply to firefighting equipment (s. 175(2)).
• Rescue rope. Firefighters’ ropes, harnesses and hardware approved (s. 488).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency-services relief. The power to exempt a volunteer fire department at the Fire Marshal’s request (s. 477) covers Part 32 only, not fall protection.
• The WSCC Firefighters code of practice expects written SOPs for technical rescue and annual SOP review (Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission [WSCC], 2017).

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (consolidation in force since about 2024-09-26, read from the official-text mirror). The s. 104 limits and s. 122 anchor values are not confirmed against the official consolidation.

Law. Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, the same sections as the Northwest Territories (Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [NU], 2021, ss. 103-122, 175, 198, 488).

What must be covered.

• Trigger. 3 m, or less where there is a risk of injury (s. 119(1)); guardrails at permanent sites for falls of 1.2 m to 3 m (s. 119(2)).
• Written plan. At 3 m or more without guardrails, with rescue procedures (s. 120).
• Equipment, aerial devices and rope. As in the Northwest Territories: “approved” equipment, a personal fall arrest system on any aerial device (s. 198(2)(h)) and approved firefighters’ ropes and harnesses (s. 488).

Fire-service nuance.

• No emergency-services relief. The s. 477 volunteer exemption covers Part 32 only.
• The WSCC Firefighters code of practice applies in Nunavut from 2017-12-21 (WSCC, 2017).

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (official consolidation 2021-09-28 with later amendments, compared section by section with the Northwest Territories text).

Law. Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, Part XII, ss. 12.03(2), 12.06, 12.07, 12.09 and 12.2 (Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations [CA], 2026, ss. 12.03, 12.06-12.10, 12.2). Applies to federal workplaces such as federally regulated airports and Department of National Defence fire services.

What must be covered.

• Trigger. A fall-protection system for work “from a structure or on a vehicle at a height of 3 m or more”, from a ladder at 3 m or more where the worker cannot keep one hand on it, and below 3 m where the surface below is more hazardous than a solid flat surface (s. 12.07(1)). The threshold was 2.4 m until SOR/2019-243 came into force on 2019-06-25.
• Fall-protection plan. Before any work activity begins, developed with the committee: hazards, chosen systems, anchorages, clearance and rescue procedures; systems chosen in the order passive, restraint, arrest, fall hazard zone (s. 12.06).
• Vehicles. Where fall protection on a vehicle is not feasible (for example an apparatus top), a job safety analysis, training, a written report to the Head with a copy to the committee, and a review every two years (s. 12.07(2)-(3)).
• Equipment. Systems designed and selected to CSA Z259.16 and Z259.17; components to the listed Z259 parts; a full body harness; inspection before each shift (s. 12.09).
• Training. On the plan by a qualified person, with a written summary (s. 12.2); no refresher interval.

Fire-service nuance.

• The only relief is the general PPE carve-out: “a person who provides instruction and training in the provision of emergency rescue services or who is instructed and trained in the provision of those services and provides them in an emergency situation may use protection equipment other than the equipment that is prescribed by this Part” (s. 12.03(2)). It reaches equipment, not the duty to plan or protect.
• Hose beds, apparatus roofs and aerial work need a system or the s. 12.07(2) analysis.

Status. Verified against the official text on 2026-10-23 (consolidated to 2026-09-30).