A worker’s guide to inspecting fall protection equipment

Understand the requirements for performing a pre-use inspection on your fall protection equipment.

Fall protection equipment offers essential protection to those who work at heights, but only if it’s in good condition. Damaged or worn equipment can be ineffective at controlling fall hazards. Pre-use inspections help to make sure the equipment is safe to use before the wearer ends up in a situation where their life depends on it.

Why are inspections important?

The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and Regulation for Construction Projects (O. Reg. 213/91) require that Ontario workers complete pre-use inspections. Pre-use equipment inspections can be an effective method for preventing workplace incidents and helping workers show their commitment to the company’s occupational health and safety management system.

The inspection process

The inspection process involves employers, supervisors, and workers. Employers are responsible for choosing competent workers or supervisors to carry out inspections. According to Section 25(1)(b) of the OHSA, the employer must ensure the equipment, materials, and protective devices that they give to workers are in good condition.

A worker is “competent” when they are trained to identify workplace hazards, understand safety laws and regulations, and know what to do if they find an issue during the inspection. Competent workers should carry out pre-use inspections of their equipment.

What should an inspection include?

When planning a pre-use equipment inspection, workers and supervisors should review the manufacturer’s operating manual. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to check for damage or wear, assess the condition of critical parts, and confirm that the equipment works properly. The manual also includes information about maintenance schedules, inspection schedules and requirements, and training requirements.

During a pre-use inspection, the competent worker must review every component of the fall protection system— and check for the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) stamp to confirm that the equipment is CSA approved.

The following table covers some potential issues to look out for.

Note: This table is not a complete list. Always follow the inspection requirements in the equipment manufacturer’s operating manual and have a competent supervisor verify anchor points.

What documentation is required?

Documentation is an important measure for tracking the equipment’s inspection history, identifying trends over time, and planning for corrective action. Workplaces should document equipment inspections using a written record, form, or checklist that covers the equipment they use, the components they inspect, the name of the person inspecting the equipment, and the date. Additionally, the inspection document should record some key information, such as the equipment’s condition, any corrective action, and whether the issues were addressed. The result should be kept on file and forwarded to head office for further review.

Safely setting up self-retracting lifelines

Self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) are a type of personal fall arrest system that limits fall distance by automatically locking when a worker falls. There are several types of SRLs, including SRLs that are anchored overhead, SRLs with retrieval capabilities, and SRLs with leading edge capabilities (SRL-LEs).

Workers can face two major hazards if they incorrectly set up their SRL: bottoming out and swing falls. By following the setup instructions in the equipment manufacturer’s operating manual, including selecting the appropriate anchor point, workers can control these hazards. If they’re working on a leading edge—the unprotected end of a walking or working surface—they should also make sure their SRL is designed for leading edge work.

Bottoming out

Bottoming out is when a worker falls from a height and hits the ground or an object below. It’s possible for workers to bottom out if the distance that they can fall before the SRL stops them is longer than their fall clearance distance (i.e., the distance from the SRL’s anchor point to hazards below them). Workers should use the following formula to calculate their fall clearance distance before setting up their SRL:

Length of lanyard + length of deployed shock absorber + height of worker + safety factor

For example: 6 ft. + 6 ft. + 6 ft. + 3 ft. = 21 ft. fall clearance distance

Swing falls

A worker faces a swing fall hazard when the anchor point for their lanyard is not directly above them, which can cause them to swing like a pendulum if they fall. When the work area is off-centre from the anchor, the worker is at risk of hitting the ground, equipment, or the structure. To prevent swing falls, workers must use SRL-LEs within the radius of the anchor point explained in the equipment manufacturer’s operating manual.

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