Worker Responsibility
An employee must:
- Use all equipment, components, and systems according to the manufacturer’s specifications and any applicable standards.
- Inspect all of the equipment before each use.
- Not use any equipment that is out-of-service, defective, has been exposed to excessive heat, has been exposed to a chemical or other substance that could corrode or otherwise damage it, or has been used to stop a fall.
- If you are an using a fall-arrest system, ensure that the system includes the required components:
- a work-positioning system and a travel restraint system, the design, markings and instructions of which comply with the latest version of CSA standard CSA Z259.1, “Body Belts and Saddles for Work Positioning and Travel Restraint”.
- if reasonably practicable, a second climbing rope or safety strap that is manufactured for the purpose of tree climbing and that meets the .
- If you are an arborist, ensure to perform the required actions in the work area; and while with a fall arrest system.
- Not use a work-positioning system as a means of fall-arrest.
- Wear a full-body harness, in compliance with the specified standard.
- Not use a body-belt as a component of a fall-arrest system.
- Use a lanyard or an energy absorber (used in a fall-arrest system), in compliance with the specified standard.
- Use a horizontal or vertical lifeline (used as a component of a fall-protection system), in compliance with the specified standards.
- Use a self-retracting device (used as a component of a fall-protection system), in compliance with the specified standard, and using the required anchor location and manner.
- Use all connecting components for a fall-arrest system, in compliance with the specified standards.
- Not use fall protection or work in, supervise or plan the work for a work area where fall protection is required before successfully completing the required training.
- Receive a copy of your training record; and have your fall-protection training certificate or card available at the workplace at all times.
- That whether or not guardrails are also installed, that fall-arrest equipment is worn and anchored to a suitable anchorage before operating the .
“arborist” means a person trained and employed, in whole or in part, to climb trees for an economic or scientific purpose, including any of the following:
- detecting and treating disease, infections or infestations,
- pruning, spraying or trimming,
- repairing damaged trees,
- assessing growth or harvesting potential;
[N.S. Reg. 52/2013, s. 21.1]
Climbing rope or strap criteria
(i) it provides additional stability,
(ii) it provides back-up fall protection,
(iii) it is capable of withstanding the greater of the following:
(A) 2 times the maximum load likely to be on it,
(B) a load of 22 kN.
[N.S. Reg. 52/2013, s. 21.10(1)(b)]
Arborist actions before climbing
Arborists must do all of the following before climbing in a work area:
(a) visually assess the structural stability of the tree;
(b) select and assess the safest path of ascent;
(c) select an appropriate crotch position as a work area.
[N.S. Reg. 52/2013, s. 21.10(2)]
Arborist actions while working in a tree
(a) wherever practicable, work from a crotch position with the fall-arrest system secured to an anchorage above the crotch position;
(b) when changing crotch positions, remain secured by the fall-arrest system to the anchorage for the previous crotch position until secured by the fall-arrest system to the anchorage for the next crotch position;
(c) not change crotch positions without selecting the next crotch position in advance;
(e)* ensure that slack only occurs in ropes or lines that are part of the fall-arrest system, if it is
(i) essential to the performance of the work, and
(ii) no greater than is consistent with the safe performance of the work;
(d)* not climb above an anchorage unless secured by another fall-arrest system secured at or above the level of the arborist;
(g)* not work in crews of fewer than 2;
(h)* have at least 1 crew member remain on the ground at the work area;
(f)* when transferring from an elevating work-platform to a tree, remain attached to an anchorage on the work-platform by way of a fall-arrest system until secured to an anchorage on the tree by way of a fall-arrest system.
[*Clause lettering as in original.]
[N.S. Reg. 52/2013, s. 21.10(3)]
Specified work-platforms:
- Portable, self-propelled, and self-propelled boom-supported elevating work-platforms, or
- Elevating work-platforms used for fire-fighting.
[N.S. Reg. 52/2013, s. 23.13(4)]
