# Working at Heights and Fall Protection Program

> Fire Service Safety Management System, version 0.3.3 (2026-10-25). The Human Factor. Document FSSMS-PRG-14.
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> Canonical: https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program
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## 1. Purpose and outcome statement

Firefighters work at height every shift: on ground ladders, at the tip of an aerial, on roofs that may be burning underneath them, on top of apparatus loading hose, on training towers, and at the edge of a rope rescue. Falls from these places are a recurring cause of death and life-changing injury in the fire service, and most happen in ordinary circumstances rather than at the dramatic moment (NIOSH, n.d.-b). This program is working when every height task the department performs has a written fall protection method the crews actually use; when no member is on an aerial, a roof, an apparatus top or a training tower without the protection the method requires; when every ladder, aerial device, harness and lanyard has a current inspection and test record; when every member who works at height holds current training with a card they can show; and when the department can rescue one of its own from a suspended position within the time suspension allows.

## 2. Applicability

This module is **Required** for every department. It answers Profile Worksheet question 14 ([01 Program Profile Worksheet](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/program-profile-worksheet)): every department climbs ladders, loads hose and works on roofs, and most operate at least one aerial device. The rope rescue edge-work elements apply only where [Rope Rescue Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/rope-rescue-program) is switched on; the aerial device elements apply only to departments that operate aerial ladders, platforms, water towers or buckets. The station maintenance elements (bay lights, roofs, mezzanines) apply to every department, including those whose stations are maintained by the municipality.

## Definitions

Consistent with [06 Glossary and Acronyms](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/glossary-and-acronyms).

- **Anchorage.** A secure point of attachment for a lifeline, lanyard or restraint system, rated to the provincial minimum or engineered.
- **Competent person.** A person who, by knowledge, training and experience, is qualified to perform the duty assigned and is familiar with the regulation and the hazards.
- **Control zone.** A marked area kept back from an unprotected edge, inside which no member works without fall protection.
- **Fall arrest.** A system that stops a fall that has already begun: full-body harness, energy-absorbing connection, rated anchorage, and a rescue plan.
- **Fall protection plan.** The written, site-specific document a province requires for work areas above its plan threshold, including clearance, swing fall, inspection and rescue.
- **Fall protection procedure.** The written, task-specific method for work below the plan threshold.
- **Fall restricting (work positioning).** A system that limits a fall to a short distance while the member works with both hands, such as a ladder belt with a hook.
- **Learning team.** A facilitated session with the people who do the work, held to understand work-as-done before designing a change.
- **Non-destructive testing (NDT).** Inspection of aerial device structure and welds by methods such as magnetic particle or ultrasonic testing that do not damage the part.
- **Psychological safety.** The shared belief within a crew that it is safe to speak up, ask, admit error and challenge [(Edmondson, 1999)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-edmondson-1999).
- **Service test.** The annual load and function test of a ground ladder to the NFPA ground ladder standard.
- **Travel restraint.** A system that keeps the member from reaching an edge, so a fall cannot start.

## 3. Standards and legal basis

The core of this program is generic across Canada. The numbers that come from provincial and territorial law (the fall height threshold, the plan threshold, anchorage ratings, training intervals, the emergency relief) are on [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access), and the ladder and aerial device rules on [J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices).

| Requirement | Source | Stage |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Fall protection required at and above the provincial threshold height, and below it where the surface below would cause worse injury than a flat solid surface | The applicable occupational health and safety regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) | S1 |
| Written fall protection procedure for each recurring height task; written plan (with rescue procedure) for work areas above the plan threshold the regulation sets | The applicable regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)); (CSA Z259.17:21); (CSA Z1009:22) | S1 |
| Emergency services relief, where the jurisdiction gives one, and the conditions attached to it (in some jurisdictions, written procedures the department trains to) | The applicable regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access); section 5.1) | S1 |
| Anchorages rated to the regulated minimum or engineered | The applicable regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)); (CSA Z259.16:21) | S1 |
| Training before first exposure and on the recurrency interval the regulation sets, by a competent instructor, with records and a card at the workplace | The applicable regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) | S1 |
| Harness worn on aerial devices for firefighting and rescue; harness inspected by a competent person before reuse after firefighting or rescue | The applicable firefighter equipment rules, where they exist ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)); [(NFPA 2500, 2022, ch. 24 to 28)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-2500) | S1 |
| Ground ladders designed, used, maintained and service tested to the NFPA standard on ground ladders, hose and appliances | [(NFPA 1930, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1930); the applicable regulation, where it names a ladder standard ([J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices)) | S1 |
| Aerial devices inspected and tested annually with non-destructive testing, or certified by an engineer as safe to elevate a firefighter | [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910); the applicable regulation ([J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices)) | S1 |
| Fall arrest worn and anchored before an elevating platform is operated | The applicable regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)); [(NFPA 1900, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1900) | S1 |
| Fall protection equipment to the CSA Z259 series | (CSA Z259.10:18); (CSA Z259.11-17); (CSA Z259.12:16); (CSA Z259.16:21); other Z259 parts as called up by the applicable regulation ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) | S1 |
| Written fall protection program: hazard assessment, hierarchy, selection and compatibility, training, inspection, removal after a fall, rescue after a fall | (CSA Z259.17:21) | S2 |
| Occupational safety and health program includes fall hazards; risk management plan | [(NFPA 1550, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1550) (see [02 Standards and Law Master Map](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/standards-and-law-master-map)) | S1 |
| Ladder and roof ventilation job performance requirements; aerial operator qualifications | [(NFPA 1010, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1010) | S1 |
| Accreditation criteria this program answers: apparatus inspection, testing and preventive maintenance by trained technicians to manufacturer and provincial requirements (aerials, ladders, walking surfaces); procedures for reporting, evaluating and communicating workplace hazards; documented steps to reduce identified hazards; safety training from hire through each assignment and on new equipment | [(CPSE, 2019, criteria 6D.1, 6D.5, 11A.2, 11A.3, 11A.5)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-cpse-2019) | S2 |

## 4. Roles

| Element | Fire chief | Deputy chief, operations | Program manager, Technical Rescue | HSO | Training officer | Company officer | Member | Fleet | JOHSC |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Program content and procedures | I | A | R | C | C | C | C | C | C |
| Fall hazard inventory by task | I | C | A | R | C | R | C | C | C |
| Fall protection procedure and plan | I | A | R | C | C | I | I | I | C |
| Training and records | I | A | C | C | R | R | R |  | I |
| Ground ladder monthly inspection |  | I | C | C |  | A | R | I | I |
| Ground ladder annual service test |  | I | C | I |  | I |  | A/R | I |
| Aerial device annual inspection and test |  | A | C | I |  | I |  | R | I |
| Harness and equipment inspection |  | I | A | C |  | R | R |  | I |
| Suspended rescue capability |  | A | R | C | R | C | C |  | I |
| Audit and verification | I | I | C | A/R | C | C |  |  | C |

A = accountable, R = responsible, C = consulted, I = informed. Full role definitions in [01 Roles and Responsibilities](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/roles-and-responsibilities). Deltas only here: the program manager for this program is the Technical Rescue program manager (or the officer named in [06 Program Improvement Teams](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/program-improvement-teams)); fleet services own the aerial device test cycle and the ground ladder service test under a written service level.

## 5. Program elements

### 5.1 Thresholds and the emergency operations question

**Requirement.** The department knows, in writing, when fall protection is required and which rules apply at an emergency.

**The thresholds.** Fall protection is required where a member could fall the threshold height in the applicable regulation (3 m nearly everywhere) or more to the nearest safe surface or into water, and below that height where the surface below would cause worse injury than a flat solid surface (a stairwell, a basement, rebar, machinery, moving water) or where there is hazardous material below. Some jurisdictions exempt entering and leaving by a safe means of access. For work on or from vehicles and mobile equipment, and for ladder work where three-point contact cannot be maintained, some jurisdictions ask for fall protection only where reasonably practicable and otherwise an alternate control, which is why the apparatus-top and ground ladder elements of this program are written as controls rather than as tie-off rules. Values for each province and territory: [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access).

**The emergency operations question.** Fire departments ask whether fall protection law applies at a fire. The position this program takes, and the safest default in any province:

- The fall protection regulation **applies** to the department as an employer and to its members as workers, at emergencies and otherwise.
- Where a jurisdiction gives emergency services relief, it is narrow: it lifts a written plan, a section or a Part during emergency response, **not** the duty to protect members from falls. It may be **conditional**, for example on the department having a written fall protection procedure and a written rope access code of practice, training its members to both, and complying with them and with standard emergency protocols ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)). Where the relief is conditional, a department with no written procedure and no code of practice has no relief at all. Writing and training to this program is what earns it.
- The relief covers **emergency response only**. Training, drills, hose loading, station maintenance and aerial familiarization are ordinary work, and the full regulation applies, including the written plan where the training tower or aerial exposes members above the plan threshold. One province’s regulator has said so in writing: training is not structural firefighting [(WorkSafeNB, 2011)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-worksafenb-2011).
- Some jurisdictions instead let the incident commander depart from the general fall protection rules where compliance is impracticable or creates a greater hazard, while keeping the aerial belt, aerial harness and rescue rope rules in force; many give no firefighter relief at all and rely on the general duty to take every reasonable precaution (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-40) ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)). The department records its position for its province or territory in the adopted program.

**Minimum method.** The program manager records the department’s written position in the adopted program and the fall protection procedure cites it. **Evidence.** The adopted procedure; the rope access code of practice ([Rope Rescue Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/rope-rescue-program) section 5.3); the training records. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.2 Fall hazard inventory by task

**Requirement.** Every recurring height task is listed with its typical fall distance, the surface below, the control the department has chosen, and the procedure that governs it. Hazards are assessed with the method in [03 Hazard Profile and Risk Register Method](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/hazard-profile-and-risk-register-method), which follows the hazard identification and risk assessment pattern of CSA Z1002 (CSA Z1002:12).

**Minimum method.** Complete the worksheet in section 17.1 for at least these tasks: ground ladder climbing and working; aerial ladder climbing and tip work; aerial platform and bucket work; water tower operation; roof operations and vertical ventilation (flat, pitched, lightweight); apparatus tops and hose beds (loading, packing, equipment retrieval); training tower and prop evolutions; rope rescue edge work; station maintenance at height (bay lights, mezzanines, roof hatches, flagpoles); hydrant and dry hydrant work at embankments; working over water from docks and vessels. **Evidence.** The completed inventory, reviewed annually by the Program Improvement Team and after any change in apparatus, stations or service. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.3 Fall protection hierarchy

**Requirement.** The control for each task is chosen in the order the fall protection management standard sets (CSA Z259.17:21), and the choice is recorded with the reason when a lower option is used.

1.  **Eliminate the height.** Load hose from the ground with the hose bed lowered or from a loading platform; retrieve equipment from ground-level compartments; use a camera or a drone for a roof inspection; do not send a member to a roof that a size-up says cannot be worked.
2.  **Guardrails and fixed protection.** Guardrails on hose beds, mezzanines and training tower landings; covers on hatches; railings on apparatus catwalks where the manufacturer provides them.
3.  **Travel restraint.** A harness or belt and a lanyard sized so the member cannot reach the edge. The preferred control on flat roofs with a parapet, apparatus tops with anchor points, and training tower decks.
4.  **Fall restricting and work positioning.** A ladder belt with a hook, a leg lock, or a positioning lanyard that limits a fall to a short distance. The control for aerial ladder tip work and ground ladder working positions.
5.  **Fall arrest.** Full-body harness, energy-absorbing lanyard or self-retracting device, rated anchor, and a rescue plan. Required on aerial platforms before the platform leaves the bed, on pitched roofs in training, and wherever travel restraint is not possible. Fall arrest without a rescue plan is not a control.
6.  **Control zones and warning lines.** Where no edge protection is possible and the work keeps members back from the edge by the control zone distance the applicable regulation sets (this program’s default is 2 m where none is set; [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)), a marked control zone with a monitor. Not a substitute for tie-in near an edge.

**Evidence.** The inventory column “control chosen” and the procedure for each task. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.4 Ground ladders

**Requirement.** Ground ladders are climbed, heeled, angled, secured, inspected and tested to the NFPA standard on ground ladders, hose and appliances, which carries forward the former ground ladder design standard and the former use, maintenance and service testing standard [(NFPA 1930, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1930), and the procedure is [SWP - Ground Ladder Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-ground-ladder-operations).

**Minimum method.**

- Climbing angle about 75 degrees (the base one quarter of the working height from the wall); the ladder heeled or tied off whenever a member is on it; tip placed to the standard for the task (window, roof, rescue); no more than the rated load; three points of contact while climbing; a leg lock or ladder belt before working with both hands [(NFPA 1930, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1930).
- Where the applicable regulation relieves firefighters in structural firefighting or rescue from general ladder-positioning rules ([J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices)), that relief does not relieve the duty to secure the firefighter on the ladder.
- **Monthly visual inspection** at the station by the company, recorded by asset tag (section 17.4), with a default target of 90 percent completion each month. Check: heat sensor labels, rails, rungs, halyards, pawls, feet, roof hooks, hardware, cleanliness and lubrication. Any failure: tag out, report, replace.
- **Annual service test** by a qualified tester (in house with the test equipment and training, or contracted) to the NFPA service test, and after exposure to heat (a tripped heat sensor), overloading, impact, or any suspected damage [(NFPA 1930, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1930). Default target: every ladder tested on time, with an 85 percent first-test pass rate as the baseline expectation; a ladder that fails is removed from service until repaired and retested or retired.
- Test stickers and heat sensor labels applied; records by serial number for the life of the ladder; a ladder within 60 days of test expiry generates a work order.

**Evidence.** Monthly inspection record; annual test record by serial ([Form - Ladder and Aerial Inspection and Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-ladder-and-aerial-inspection-and-test-record)); work orders. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.5 Aerial devices

**Requirement.** Aerial ladders, platforms, buckets, ladder platforms and water towers are operated with fall protection for every member on them, by qualified operators, within rated loads and clearances, and tested annually by a third party. Procedure: [SWP - Aerial Device Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-aerial-device-operations).

**Minimum method.**

- **Aerial ladder:** every member on the ladder wears a ladder belt with a hook, or a harness with a short positioning lanyard, attached to a rung or the labelled anchor, limiting a fall to about 30 cm; that limit is written into the law of some jurisdictions ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) and adopted here as the department’s benchmark everywhere. Travel restraint systems are not suitable on an aerial ladder (MLITSD, n.d., GN 4-11). Members do not ride the ladder while it is moving unless the manufacturer’s manual and the procedure allow it and they are attached.
- **Aerial platform and bucket:** every member wears a full-body harness attached to the labelled platform anchor before the platform leaves the bed; the gate is closed; the load chart is respected including water flow reaction.
- **Harness standard:** for structural firefighting or rescue from an aerial, a harness meeting the NFPA life safety harness requirements [(NFPA 2500, 2022, ch. 24 to 28)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-2500); a CSA Z259.10 harness (CSA Z259.10:18) where the applicable regulation permits general fall protection equipment instead ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)).
- **Operator at the lower controls:** whenever firefighters are on the device, a qualified operator stays at the turntable or pedestal controls in sight and voice contact, a rule some jurisdictions write into regulation ([J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices)). The device is not moved with a member on it unless the operator and the member have confirmed it by radio or voice.
- **Tip loads and extension:** rated tip load for the configuration (unsupported, supported, with or without water flow) is marked on the device and respected; no over-extension; stabilizers fully deployed and footing checked; short-jacking only within the manufacturer’s limits and the procedure.
- **Electrical clearance:** the operator sizes up overhead conductors before the device leaves the bed and maintains the minimum clearance in the applicable regulation ([J19 Lockout, Machine Guarding and Electrical Safety](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j19-lockout-machine-guarding-and-electrical-safety)) and the manufacturer’s manual, never less than {{Minimum electrical clearance}}; a spotter is assigned wherever conductors are within twice the device’s reach.
- **Annual third-party inspection and test** with non-destructive testing at intervals not exceeding 12 months, with a written certificate [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910), the interval some jurisdictions also set in regulation ([J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices)); a full non-destructive test at the standard’s longer interval (five years) [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910); after any collision, overload, structural repair or suspected damage; records for the life of the apparatus. Where the device is certified by an engineer rather than tested to the standard (where the jurisdiction allows it), the engineer’s letter is on file and renewed on the interval the engineer sets.
- **Anchor points** on the device are labelled by the manufacturer or an engineer as travel restraint or fall arrest (MLITSD, n.d., GN 4-11), and the procedure says which to use for which task.

**Evidence.** Annual certificates; after-event test records; operator qualification records; anchor labelling; drill observation. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.6 Roof and vertical ventilation operations

**Requirement.** Roof work during fire operations is a high-consequence task controlled by size-up, supervision, sounding, egress and the decision not to go. Procedure: [SWP - Roof and Vertical Ventilation Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-roof-and-vertical-ventilation-operations).

**Minimum method.**

- Size-up of construction type, roof system (lightweight truss, engineered I-joist, panelized, conventional), burn time and fire location before any member goes to a roof (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-14). No member works over fire-involved lightweight trusses or engineered roofs.
- A roof sector or division officer whenever members are on a roof; the incident safety officer assigned per the [Emergency Operations Safety Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/emergency-operations-safety-program) triggers [(NFPA 1550, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1550).
- Members work from the roof ladder, the aerial tip or the platform; they sound the roof ahead of every step; they maintain two means of egress, one of them other than the route they came up (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-14).
- The thermal imager is used for fire location only; it cannot judge roof or floor strength (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-14).
- Fall protection on roofs: at an emergency, the roof ladder, the aerial and work positioning are the controls under the procedure; in training and non-emergency work, fall arrest or travel restraint to rated anchors on the prop.

**Evidence.** Procedure; post-incident reviews of roof operations; drill observation. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.7 Training towers and props

**Requirement.** Training structures are the place where emergency habits are most likely to carry over into unprotected height work, and the law gives no relief there [(WorkSafeNB, 2011)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-worksafenb-2011).

**Minimum method.** Every training tower, roof prop and elevated prop has: a structural inspection by an engineer on a set cycle ({{Training tower inspection interval}}, confirm the local requirement; commonly annual visual and five-year structural); guardrails on landings and decks to the provincial standard where feasible; anchor points designed, rated, labelled and inspected (CSA Z259.16:21); a written fall protection plan for the exposures above the plan threshold; a pre-evolution inspection ([SWP - Training Tower and Prop Inspection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-training-tower-and-prop-inspection)); and a rule that all fall protection rules apply in full during every evolution, with the training safety officer authorized to stop any evolution. **Evidence.** Engineer’s reports; anchor certification; pre-evolution checks; the written plan. **Stage.** S1 for the plan and the pre-evolution check; S2 for the engineered anchor program.

### 5.8 Apparatus tops and hose beds

**Requirement.** Members do not fall from apparatus. Procedure: [SWP - Fall Protection on Apparatus and at Heights](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-fall-protection-on-apparatus-and-at-heights).

**Minimum method.** Ground-level hose loading is the default (lowered hose beds, loading from a platform, or hose laid on the apron and fed up); when a member must be on top, the fewest members needed, working from the centre facing outward, with the apparatus parked level and the bay fans and overhead heaters identified (MLITSD, n.d., GN 6-29); three points of contact mounting and dismounting; no riding on the top or the rear step; no standing on a moving apparatus; slip-resistant walking surfaces, handrails and steps maintained in the apparatus preventive maintenance inspection [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910); hose bed railings or covers assessed with the JOHSC for every apparatus type and retrofitted where feasible; icy and wet surfaces treated as a stop-and-assess trigger. **Evidence.** Procedure; apparatus PM records; JOHSC assessment record. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.9 Rope rescue anchors and belays

**Requirement.** Edge work in rope rescue is fall protection work. Everyone near an edge is tied in with travel restraint; anchors meet the provincial minimum or are engineered; every live load has a main line and an independent belay [(NFPA 2500, 2022)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-2500). The detail is in [Rope Rescue Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/rope-rescue-program) and [SWP - Rope Rescue Systems Rigging and Inspection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-rope-rescue-systems-rigging-and-inspection); this program owns the tie-in-at-the-edge rule and the rope access code of practice reference that earns the emergency relief in section 5.1. **Stage.** S1 where rope rescue is provided.

### 5.10 Fall protection equipment: selection, inspection and records

**Requirement.** Every harness, belt, lanyard, energy absorber, self-retracting device, connector, anchor connector and lifeline is to the CSA Z259 part that applies (or the NFPA life safety requirement for rescue harnesses), is compatible with the other components it is used with, is inspected before use and by a competent person on a schedule, is inspected after any arrest or firefighting exposure, and is retired on criteria (CSA Z259.17:21).

**Minimum method.**

- **Inventory** with unique ID, standard and class, date in service, manufacturer’s service life, and location (section 17.6).
- **Pre-use inspection** by the user, every use: webbing, stitching, hardware, labels, indicators.
- **Post-use inspection** of any harness worn for structural firefighting or rescue by a competent person before reuse, as some jurisdictions’ firefighter equipment rules also require ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)), recorded on the card ([Form - Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Card](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-fall-protection-equipment-inspection-card)).
- **Competent-person inspection** on the schedule set in the fall protection plan, no less than every six months for in-service equipment, recorded.
- **Removal from service** after any fall arrest, impact load, chemical or heat exposure, contamination that cannot be cleaned, a failed inspection, or doubt (CSA Z259.17:21); a removed item is tagged, quarantined and either returned by the manufacturer or destroyed.
- **Retirement** at the manufacturer’s service life or on condition, whichever is first, recorded.
- **Storage** dry, dark, away from fuels, solvents, exhaust and sharp objects.

**Evidence.** Inventory; inspection cards; removal and retirement records. **Stage.** S1.

### 5.11 Rescue after a fall

**Requirement.** A member suspended in a harness after an arrested fall is rescued before suspension trauma makes the rescue a recovery. A written rescue procedure is a required part of the fall protection plan wherever the applicable regulation requires a plan ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) and of the fall protection management standard (CSA Z259.17:21).

**Minimum method.** The aerial crew and the rope rescue team are the designated rescue capability for suspended members on apparatus, towers and at incidents; the procedure names the method for each location (aerial pick-off, lowering from above, ladder rescue, self-rescue with relief steps); every member who uses fall arrest is trained to deploy suspension relief steps; a suspended-worker rescue drill is run at least annually by each aerial and rope crew and timed. **Evidence.** Procedure; drill records with times. **Stage.** S1 for the procedure; S2 for the timed annual drill by every crew.

### 5.12 Station and facility work at height

**Requirement.** Changing bay lights, clearing roof drains, reaching mezzanine storage and similar station tasks are done with the same hierarchy: a platform lift or a fixed stair before a ladder, a ladder with three-point contact and a second person before anything else, and fall arrest to a rated anchor where a roof edge is near. Contractors on station roofs follow [Contractor and Mutual Aid Safety Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/contractor-and-mutual-aid-safety-program). This element is shared with [Facilities and Station Safety Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/facilities-and-station-safety-program). **Stage.** S1.

## 6. Safety Differently in this program

**(a) Work-as-done.** Before any procedure in this program is written or changed, the learning team ([06 Program Improvement Teams](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/program-improvement-teams) section 5) sits with the members who climb, ride and load, and describes: how hose is actually loaded at each station and why members go on top (bed height, bay layout, time pressure after a call); how crews decide whether to go to a roof, who makes the call, and what information they really have at that moment; how the aerial tip is worked when the belt gets in the way of the task; what the ladder angle and heel look like when the crew is short a member; where on each apparatus people actually attach, and where there is nothing to attach to; and the near misses nobody reported because nothing happened. The procedure is written from that description, not from the manual ([Hollnagel, 2014](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-hollnagel-2014); [Conklin, 2012](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-conklin-2012)).

**(b) Capacity and margins.** This work goes right most of the time because experienced officers size up before committing, crews have enough people to heel and tie off, equipment is where it should be and works, and there is time to attach. That capacity erodes with short crews (one person heeling and climbing), daytime volunteer response, fatigue late in a long incident, ice and wind, aerials positioned in a hurry near conductors, and belts or harnesses that are a nuisance to wear with structural gear. The program protects the margin by making ground-level loading the default, by requiring a roof officer and a second egress rather than relying on individual judgement at the moment, by keeping an operator at the controls, by buying belts and harnesses crews will actually wear, and by treating a short crew or bad weather as a reason to change the plan rather than to try harder [(Hollnagel, 2014)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-hollnagel-2014).

**(c) Just culture.** A member who worked unattached, chose the wrong anchor, or improvised a heel is not the problem to fix; the conditions that made that choice sensible are [(Dekker, 2016)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-dekker-2016). Adaptations and workarounds found in drills, inspections or reviews go to the learning team as design input. The learning firewall applies: information from debriefs, learning teams, near-miss reports and reviews is never the basis for discipline. Conduct concerns (intentional harm, impairment, reckless disregard) go to a separate process run by different people, as [Incident Investigation and Learning Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/incident-investigation-and-learning-program) sets out [(The Human Factor, 2026a)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-the-human-factor-2026a).

**(d) Psychological safety.** Any member can stop a climb, a roof assignment, an aerial movement or a hose-loading job by saying the hazard and the action (“Stop, hold the ladder, the butt is on ice”). The officer’s job in reply is to acknowledge, act on the call, and review it later for learning, never to argue it on the spot. A member who wants to challenge a roof assignment says so to the sector officer or on the radio; the officer answers with the reason or changes the plan. Leaders show it is safe by thanking stop-work calls in the debrief and the quarterly update, by reporting their own near misses, and by never asking “who” before “what made sense” ([Edmondson, 1999](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-edmondson-1999); [Dekker, 2016](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-dekker-2016)). A concern a member raises about this program (a missing anchor, an aerial that moved, a ladder that failed) goes to the company officer or straight to the program team lead or the JOHSC consultant, and the member gets an answer within 15 days (section 12).

**(e) Learning link.** Every roof operation, aerial rescue, suspended-worker drill and fall near miss gets a Tier 1 After-Action Review. A fall, an arrested fall, an aerial struck or moved with a member on it, or a near miss with potential for death or critical injury goes to Tier 2 Post-Incident Analysis. A death or critical injury from a fall is Tier 3 Independent Learning Review [(The Human Factor, 2026a)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-the-human-factor-2026a). Crew AAR questions for this task: What did we expect the roof (or the ladder, or the aerial) to do, and what did it do? Where was each of us attached, and was there a moment when someone was not? What would have made it easier to say stop? Full method: [Incident Investigation and Learning Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/incident-investigation-and-learning-program) and Manual 02 - The Three Tiers and Event Triage.

## 7. Training and competency

| Who | What | How often | How verified |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Every member who works at height (all operational members) | Fall protection training to the topic list the applicable regulation sets, where it sets one: legislation, hazard identification, hierarchy of controls, system types (guardrail, restraint, positioning, arrest), anchors, free fall, swing fall and arresting forces, clearance, equipment inspection, emergency and rescue, hands-on donning, adjustment and connection | Before first exposure; recurrent at least every three years, or sooner where the applicable regulation sets a shorter interval ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) | Written and practical evaluation by a competent instructor; card or certificate signed by the instructor, available at the workplace; record with name, dates, instructor, expiry |
| Every operational member | Ground ladder job performance requirements [(NFPA 1010, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1010); the department’s ladder procedure | Recruit; annual skills check | Skills sheet signed by an instructor |
| Members assigned to roof work | Roof operations and vertical ventilation: construction recognition, sounding, egress, saw safety, the no-go rules | Initial; annual refresher | Practical evaluation on a prop |
| Aerial operators | Manufacturer’s operator training; the aerial driver/operator job performance requirements [(NFPA 1010, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1010); the department’s aerial procedure; electrical clearance and stabilizer set-up | Initial; annual proficiency | Practical evaluation; record per operator per device type |
| Members who ride aerials | Belt and harness use on the specific device; anchor points; communication with the operator | Initial; annual with the operator proficiency | Drill observation |
| Aerial and rope crews | Suspended-worker rescue | Annual drill, timed | Drill record |
| Company officers | Supervising work at height: the inventory, the controls, the stop-work response, the post-use inspection duty | Within six months of appointment; every three years | Supervisor competency record ([01 Roles and Responsibilities](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/roles-and-responsibilities) section 7) |
| Instructors | Competent-person status for fall protection instruction, documented by knowledge, training and experience | Before instructing; reviewed every three years | Instructor file |

Competency sign-off template in section 17.7.

> **Tip: Volunteer and composite departments**
>
> Deliver the recurrent training as a single evening or a Saturday morning, with the hands-on component on the department’s own apparatus and ladders. Keep the cards at the station, not at home. A volunteer who cannot show a current card does not ride the aerial until they can.

## 8. Equipment, inspection, maintenance and testing

| Item | Inspection | Interval | Who | Standard | Record |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Ground ladders | Visual (heat labels, rails, rungs, halyard, pawls, feet, hooks) | Monthly; after every use at a fire | Company officer and crew | [(NFPA 1930, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1930) | Station inspection record by asset tag |
| Ground ladders | Service test | Annual; after heat, overload, impact or suspected damage | Qualified tester (fleet or contractor) | [(NFPA 1930, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1930) | [Form - Ladder and Aerial Inspection and Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-ladder-and-aerial-inspection-and-test-record) by serial |
| Aerial devices | Operator daily and weekly checks per manufacturer | Daily in service; weekly | Operator | Manufacturer’s manual | Apparatus check sheet |
| Aerial devices | Inspection and non-destructive test, written certificate | Not exceeding 12 months; after collision, overload, repair | Third-party tester or manufacturer; engineer where relied on | [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910); the applicable regulation ([J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices)) | Certificate on file for the life of the apparatus |
| Aerial devices | Full non-destructive test | Five years | Third-party tester | [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910) | Certificate |
| Harnesses, belts, lanyards, energy absorbers, SRLs, connectors | Pre-use visual | Every use | User | CSA Z259 part; manufacturer | None unless a defect |
| Harnesses worn for firefighting or rescue | Post-use inspection before reuse | After every use | Competent person | Department rule; the applicable firefighter equipment rules, where they exist ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)) | Inspection card |
| All fall protection equipment | Competent-person inspection | Every six months; after any arrest or exposure | Competent person named by the program manager | (CSA Z259.17:21) | Inspection card; inventory |
| Self-retracting devices | Manufacturer service | Manufacturer’s interval | Manufacturer or authorized service | (CSA Z259.2.2-17) | Service record |
| Anchor points (apparatus, towers, stations) | Visual and label check | Annual; before each training evolution on towers | Competent person; training safety officer | (CSA Z259.16:21) | Anchor register |
| Training towers and props | Structural inspection | {{Training tower inspection interval}} | Engineer | Local building and OHS requirements | Engineer’s report |
| Apparatus walking surfaces, handrails, steps | Preventive maintenance inspection | Per the apparatus PM schedule | Fleet (EVT) | [(NFPA 1910, 2024)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-nfpa-1910) | PM record |

## 9. Safe work procedures this program owns

- [SWP - Ground Ladder Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-ground-ladder-operations)
- [SWP - Aerial Device Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-aerial-device-operations)
- [SWP - Roof and Vertical Ventilation Operations](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-roof-and-vertical-ventilation-operations)
- [SWP - Fall Protection on Apparatus and at Heights](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-fall-protection-on-apparatus-and-at-heights)
- [SWP - Training Tower and Prop Inspection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-training-tower-and-prop-inspection) (shared with [Training Safety and Live Fire Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/training-safety-and-live-fire-program))
- [SWP - Rope Rescue Systems Rigging and Inspection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/swp-rope-rescue-systems-rigging-and-inspection) (owned by [Rope Rescue Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/rope-rescue-program); the edge tie-in rule is this program’s)

## 10. Records and forms

- [Form - Ladder and Aerial Inspection and Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-ladder-and-aerial-inspection-and-test-record)
- [Form - Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Card](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-fall-protection-equipment-inspection-card)
- Fall hazard inventory worksheet (section 17.1)
- Fall protection procedure and plan templates (sections 17.2 and 17.3)
- Training and competency sign-off (section 17.7)
- Quarterly indicator worksheet (section 17.8)
- Retention: training records for the member’s service plus the period in [05 Document Control and Records](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/document-control-and-records); aerial certificates for the life of the apparatus; ladder test records for the life of the ladder; inspection cards for the life of the item plus one year.

## 11. Indicators

| Indicator | Type | Definition | Baseline measure | Target |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Fall protection training currency | Leading | Percentage of operational members with a current card on file | Count at adoption | 100 percent |
| Ground ladder monthly inspection completion | Leading | Percentage of ladders with a recorded inspection each month | First three months | 90 percent or better |
| Ground ladder annual test currency | Leading | Percentage of ladders tested within the last 12 months | At adoption | 100 percent |
| Ground ladder test pass rate | Leading | Percentage passing on first test | First annual cycle | 85 percent or better; investigate any failure pattern |
| Aerial certificate currency | Leading | Every aerial with a certificate dated within 12 months | At adoption | 100 percent |
| Harness post-use inspection compliance | Leading | Sample of fires with aerial or rope use where the post-use inspection card is complete | Quarterly sample of ten | 100 percent of sample |
| Fall protection observed in drills | Leading | Percentage of observed aerial, roof and tower evolutions where every member was attached as required | Quarterly observation | 100 percent |
| Suspended-worker rescue drill | Leading | Each aerial and rope crew completed a timed drill in the year; median time | First year | 100 percent of crews; time trending down |
| Stop-work and good-catch reports at height (psychological safety) | Leading | Stop-work calls and good catches reported for height tasks per quarter, each acknowledged in a debrief and none followed by reprisal; members agreeing “I can tell my officer a roof or ladder assignment is unsafe” in the culture survey | First two quarters; first survey | Reports rising; survey agreement rising; zero reprisal findings |
| Falls and near-miss falls | Lagging | Falls from height and near misses reported per 100 members per year, by task | First 12 months | Near-miss reports rising, injuries falling |
| Fall injuries | Lagging | Lost-time and medical-aid injuries from falls per year | Three-year history | Zero fatal and critical; trend down |

Indicator definitions align with [04 Baseline Metrics and Indicator Set](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/baseline-metrics-and-indicator-set); worksheet in section 17.8.

## 12. Accountability and closed feedback loop

| Element | Who | How |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Owner | Deputy chief, operations, through the program manager, Technical Rescue | Accountable for the outcome in section 1; receives the quarterly update; approves the fall protection procedure and plan |
| Doer | Company officers (daily controls, monthly ladder inspection, post-use harness inspection); aerial operators (device checks, operator-at-controls rule); fleet services (annual tests); training division (training and cards); members (pre-use inspection, attachment, reporting) | The elements in section 5 |
| Verifier | Company officer spot check (every shift the aerial is used); HSO sample of inspection cards and ladder records (quarterly); JOHSC station inspection (ladder records, cards at the station); internal audit ([Checklist - Working at Heights and Fall Protection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-working-at-heights-and-fall-protection), annual); third-party aerial tester (annual) | Findings logged to the register |
| Feedback | Quarterly program update to the senior team and the JOHSC; indicator dashboard; change notices to every station when a procedure, device or anchor changes. **A member’s concern:** raised to the company officer, the program team lead, the JOHSC consultant or the near-miss system; logged in the team action log; the member receives a written or in-person answer from the team lead within 15 days saying what was decided and why, even when the answer is “not yet” | [06 Program Improvement Teams](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/program-improvement-teams) section 10 |
| Closure | [Corrective Action Register](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/corrective-action-register): every deficiency (a failed ladder, an expired certificate, a missing card, an unattached member observed, a near-miss fall) logged within five working days with a priority on the department’s scale, P1 (Imminent) to P4 (Improvement), an owner and the due dates its priority sets; closure needs evidence and the verifier’s sign-off; extension and escalation as the priority scale sets; the JOHSC sees the open list every meeting | Register rules |

**Loop test.** A volunteer captain reports on Monday that the platform anchor label on the second-due aerial has worn off and the crew is not sure which point is the fall arrest anchor. By Friday the item is in the register with the program manager as owner, the aerial is placarded with a temporary label confirmed against the manufacturer’s manual, and the captain has heard back. Within 30 days the manufacturer’s labels are replaced on every aerial, the anchor register is updated, a change notice goes to every station with a photograph, and the quarterly update reports it closed with evidence.

## 13. Audit

Checklist: [Checklist - Working at Heights and Fall Protection](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/checklist-working-at-heights-and-fall-protection). The five questions an auditor asks first:

1.  Show me the fall hazard inventory and the written procedure for the last height task this station performed.
2.  Pick a member at random: show me their fall protection card and its expiry.
3.  Pick a ground ladder: show me last month’s inspection and the last annual test by serial.
4.  Show me the current certificate for this aerial, and the post-use inspection card for the harness used at the last fire.
5.  Who rescues a member suspended from this aerial, and when did they last practise it? And when did a member last stop a height task, and what happened to them?

**Accreditation crosswalk.** The audit evidence for this program also serves the apparatus maintenance criterion (aerial and ladder testing by qualified technicians, out-of-service rules) and the occupational health and safety criterion (hazard reporting and communication, documented risk reduction, safety training on new equipment) [(CPSE, 2019, criteria 6D.1, 6D.5, 11A.2, 11A.3, 11A.5)](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/working-at-heights-and-fall-protection-program#ref-cpse-2019).

## 14. Lessons learned built in

Generic patterns from line-of-duty death and injury investigations (NIOSH, n.d.-b) this program answers:

- **Falls through fire-weakened roofs** on lightweight truss and engineered roofs during vertical ventilation, with no construction size-up, no sounding and a single egress. Controlled by 5.6 and the no-go rules in the roof procedure.
- **Falls from aerial tips** when the member was not belted or the aerial was repositioned with a member on it and the operator was away from the controls. Controlled by 5.5.
- **Falls from apparatus tops** while loading hose, slips on icy surfaces, stepping off the rear step. Controlled by 5.8.
- **Ground ladder slips** from improper angle or heeling, and failures of heat-damaged or overloaded ladders that were never retested. Controlled by 5.4.
- **Training-ground falls** where emergency habits carried over and no fall protection was rigged on a tower. Controlled by 5.7 and the training-is-not-an-emergency rule in 5.1.
- **Suspension without a rescue plan** after an arrested fall. Controlled by 5.11.
- **Supervision, written procedures and inspection records** are what a regulator asks for first after a fall; the records this program generates are the due diligence evidence ([01 Roles and Responsibilities](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/roles-and-responsibilities) section 2).

## 15. Stage 1 minimum and cost note

**Stage 1 minimum.** The written position on emergency operations (5.1); the fall hazard inventory (5.2); the fall protection procedure for every listed task and one overall plan for the training tower and aerial training (5.3, 17.2, 17.3); the four procedures in section 9; monthly ladder inspection and annual service test (5.4); aerial annual certificate and the belt-or-harness and operator-at-controls rules (5.5); harness post-use inspection (5.10); fall protection training with cards for every operational member (7); a suspended-worker rescue procedure (5.11); one learning-team session on hose loading and roof decisions (6a); the accountability loop (12).

**Cost note.** People: program manager and team about four hours a month; one competent-person inspector per platoon or district trained (one day each); instructor capacity for the recurrent cycle (about two hours per member per cycle, plus hands-on). Money: annual aerial inspection and test per device (contracted, typically a four-figure sum per device; confirm locally); ground ladder service test equipment or a contracted test per ladder; CSA harnesses, lanyards and belts for aerial crews and training; anchor labelling; engineer’s inspection of training towers on cycle. A small volunteer department with one aerial and 20 ladders can reach Stage 1 for the cost of the aerial test, the ladder tests and a training evening.

## 16. Customize

> **Note: Customize**
>
> Decide and record: the department’s written position on fall protection at emergencies for its province or territory (5.1 and [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)); which anchor points on each aerial are restraint and which are arrest; the electrical clearance distance the department adopts; who the competent-person inspectors are; whether ladder service testing is in house or contracted; the training tower inspection interval; the control zone distance; and the name of the Program Improvement Team that owns this program (Technical Rescue by default). Departments without aerials delete 5.5 and the aerial rows; departments without a training tower adapt 5.7 to the props they use.

## Jurisdiction requirements

This chapter relies on the following legal requirements, which differ by province and territory. Check your jurisdiction’s section on each topic page before adopting it.

| Topic | What to check in your jurisdiction | Page |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices | Which design, use and service-testing standards a regulation names for fire service ground ladders and aerial devices; the aerial inspection and certification interval and who may certify; any operator-at-the-controls rule; and how general ladder rules apply to firefighters | [J15 Equipment Inspection, Ladders and Aerial Devices](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j15-equipment-inspection-ladders-and-aerial-devices) |
| Fall Protection and Rope Access | The height that triggers fall protection and any lower triggers; when a written procedure or site-specific plan is required and what it must contain, including rescue; the training interval and records; anchorage strength and the CSA Z259 parts named; the harness or belt rule on aerial devices and post-use harness inspection; rope access rules that reach rescue and training; the control zone distance; and any emergency services relief and its conditions | [J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access) |
| Lockout, Machine Guarding and Electrical Safety | The minimum approach distance to energized overhead conductors for aerial devices and the members on them, and any relief for emergency actions | [J19 Lockout, Machine Guarding and Electrical Safety](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j19-lockout-machine-guarding-and-electrical-safety) |

## 17. Implementation toolkit

### 17.1 Fall hazard inventory worksheet by task

Complete one row per recurring task. Review annually and after any change in apparatus, stations, props or service.

| \# | Task | Where it happens | Typical fall distance | Surface or hazard below | Frequency | Control chosen (hierarchy level) | Why not a higher level | Procedure or plan | Rescue method | Owner |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| 1 | Ground ladder climbing and working | Fireground, training | 3 to 10 m | Ground, debris, vehicles | Weekly | Positioning (leg lock or belt); heel or tie-off | Restraint not practicable on a ladder | SWP-15 | Ladder rescue |  |
| 2 | Aerial ladder tip work | Fireground, training | 10 to 30 m | Ground, roof | Weekly | Positioning (belt or harness and short lanyard) | Restraint not suitable on aerial ladder | SWP-16; plan | Aerial pick-off |  |
| 3 | Aerial platform and bucket | Fireground, training | 10 to 30 m | Ground, roof | Weekly | Fall arrest to labelled anchor | Platform leaves the bed; arrest required | SWP-16; plan | Lower platform; pick-off |  |
| 4 | Water tower operation | Fireground | 10 to 20 m | Ground | Monthly | Operator at ground; no member elevated | Elimination | SWP-16 | n/a |  |
| 5 | Roof operations and vertical ventilation | Fireground | 3 to 15 m | Fire, interior, ground | Monthly | Roof ladder, aerial tip, positioning; no-go rules | Emergency; restraint anchors not available | SWP-17 | Aerial; ladder |  |
| 6 | Apparatus top and hose bed | Station, fireground | 2 to 3.5 m | Concrete, equipment | Daily | Elimination (ground loading) or restraint to apparatus anchors |  | SWP-18 | Ground-level |  |
| 7 | Training tower evolutions | Training grounds | 3 to 20 m | Concrete | Weekly | Guardrails; restraint; arrest on open faces |  | SWP-18; plan; tower SWP | Pick-off; lowering |  |
| 8 | Roof prop training | Training grounds | 3 to 6 m | Ground | Monthly | Arrest or restraint to engineered anchors |  | SWP-17; plan | Lowering |  |
| 9 | Rope rescue edge work | Any | Variable | Variable | Monthly (drills) | Restraint near the edge; main and belay for live loads |  | SWP-21 | Pick-off |  |
| 10 | Station maintenance at height | Stations | 3 to 8 m | Concrete, apparatus | Monthly | Platform lift; ladder with second person; arrest at roof edges |  | SWP-18 | Lowering; ladder |  |
| 11 | Dock, vessel and embankment work | Waterfront, dry hydrants | 1 to 5 m | Water, rock | Seasonal | PFD and restraint; see water program |  | SWP-24 | Water rescue |  |
| 12 | {{Add local task}} |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

### 17.2 Fall protection safe work procedure template (tasks below the plan threshold)

For each task in the inventory with a maximum fall distance below the plan threshold in the applicable regulation, complete this template and file it with the procedure for the task (or write it into the task SWP). Check the content list your jurisdiction requires ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)).

| Field | Entry |
|:---|:---|
| Task and location |  |
| Fall hazards identified (distance, surface below, environmental conditions) |  |
| Fall protection system to be used (guardrail, travel restraint, fall restricting, fall arrest, control zone) and why |  |
| Equipment required, by standard and class (CSA Z259 part; NFPA life safety harness where used) |  |
| Anchorages to be used, rating, how identified |  |
| Clearance and swing fall check (fall arrest only) |  |
| Procedures for assembling, using, maintaining, inspecting and disassembling the system |  |
| Inspection of equipment before use and by whom |  |
| Rescue procedure if a member is suspended or injured |  |
| Training required and who verifies it |  |
| Supervision: who is in charge of the task |  |
| Emergency relief statement (emergency response only, and only where the applicable regulation gives such relief): “{{Department}} relies on the emergency services relief in the applicable regulation for site-specific plans during emergency response. This procedure and the rope access code of practice in [Rope Rescue Program](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/rope-rescue-program) are the procedures it trains to.” |  |
| Approved by (role), date; JOHSC consulted, date |  |

### 17.3 Fall protection safe work plan template (work areas at or above the plan threshold)

One overall plan may cover every work area with this exposure (training tower, aerial training, roof props, station roofs) where the applicable regulation allows it. Check the content list your jurisdiction requires ([J16 Fall Protection and Rope Access](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/j16-fall-protection-and-rope-access)).

| Field | Entry |
|:---|:---|
| Work areas covered (each tower, prop, aerial, roof) |  |
| Fall hazards at each, with maximum fall distance |  |
| Fall protection system for each area and task |  |
| Equipment by standard and class; compatibility of components confirmed by |  |
| Anchorages: location, rating (provincial minimum or engineered), design by (engineer) where engineered, inspection schedule |  |
| Fall arrest clearance calculation for each arrest location |  |
| Swing fall assessment and procedure |  |
| Procedures for assembling, using, inspecting, maintaining and disassembling |  |
| Equipment inspection schedule and competent person |  |
| Rescue procedures for a suspended member at each location; equipment; who; drill frequency |  |
| Training and supervision |  |
| Weather and condition limits (wind, ice, lightning) |  |
| Review date and trigger (annually; after any change; after any fall or near miss) |  |
| Approved by (role), date; JOHSC consulted, date |  |

### 17.4 Ground ladder monthly inspection record

| Station | Apparatus | Ladder asset tag | Serial | Type and length | Heat labels intact | Rails and rungs | Halyard, pulleys, pawls | Feet, hooks, hardware | Clean and lubricated | Result (Pass / Tag out) | Work order | Inspected by (role) | Date |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Annual test and after-event test are recorded on [Form - Ladder and Aerial Inspection and Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-ladder-and-aerial-inspection-and-test-record).

### 17.5 Aerial device inspection and test record (summary)

| Apparatus | Device type | Manufacturer, model, year | Last annual inspection and NDT (date, tester, certificate number) | Next due | Last five-year NDT | Engineer’s certification (if relied on), date, renewal | After-event tests (date, event, result) | Anchor points labelled (date checked) | Operator proficiency records current |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Full record: [Form - Ladder and Aerial Inspection and Test Record](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-ladder-and-aerial-inspection-and-test-record).

### 17.6 Fall protection equipment inventory

| ID | Item (harness, belt, lanyard, SRL, connector, anchor connector, lifeline) | Standard and class | Manufacturer, model, serial | Date of manufacture | Date in service | Service life ends | Assigned to (apparatus or person) | Last competent-person inspection | Status (In service / Quarantined / Retired) |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

Inspection card: [Form - Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Card](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-fall-protection-equipment-inspection-card).

### 17.7 Training and competency sign-off

| Member (role and ID) | Module | Date | Instructor (role) | Evaluation method (written, practical) | Result | Card issued (number) | Expiry | Record location |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
|  | Fall protection (regulated topics, hands-on) |  |  |  |  |  | Three years, or the regulated interval if shorter |  |
|  | Ground ladder skills |  |  |  |  |  | Annual |  |
|  | Roof operations |  |  |  |  |  | Annual |  |
|  | Aerial operator (device type) |  |  |  |  |  | Annual |  |
|  | Aerial rider (belt and harness) |  |  |  |  |  | Annual |  |
|  | Suspended-worker rescue |  |  |  |  |  | Annual |  |
|  | Competent-person inspector |  |  |  |  |  | 3 years |  |

### 17.8 Quarterly indicator worksheet

| Quarter | Training currency (%) | Ladder monthly inspection completion (%) | Ladder annual test currency (%) | Ladder test pass rate (%) | Aerial certificate currency (%) | Harness post-use card sample (n complete / 10) | Drill observation attached (%) | Rescue drills done (crews / total) and median time | Stop-work and good-catch reports (n, acknowledged n) | Falls and near misses (n, by task) | Fall injuries (n) | Open corrective actions (n, oldest days) | Notes and asks |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| Q1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Q2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Q3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Q4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

### 17.9 Harness inspection card (pocket version)

Carried with each harness; the full card is [Form - Fall Protection Equipment Inspection Card](https://thehumanfactor.ca/library/fire-service-safety/form-fall-protection-equipment-inspection-card).

| Check | Pass | Fail |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Label legible: standard, class, serial, date of manufacture |  |  |
| Webbing: cuts, burns, abrasion, chemical damage, UV fading, stiffness |  |  |
| Stitching: broken, pulled, missing |  |  |
| Hardware: D-rings, buckles, adjusters: cracks, deformation, corrosion, function |  |  |
| Fall indicator intact (where fitted) |  |  |
| Exposed to fire, heat, chemicals, impact or an arrest since last inspection |  |  |
| Result: In service / Remove from service |  |  |
| Inspected by (role), date, type (pre-use, post-use, periodic) |  |  |

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