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12. Guardrails: Any guardrail incorporated in a building, with the exception of a guardrail that is part of any equipment, shall comply with the National Building Code as applied at the time of its installation.
Temporary guardrails shall be so designed, constructed and installed as to withstand the following minimum loads:
(1) a 900 N horizontal single point load applied at any location on the top rail;
(2) a 450 N load applied vertically at the top rail.
In addition, such guardrails shall be provided with
(1) a top rail located between 1 m and 1,2 m from the floor;
(2) at least an intermediate rail fixed at midway between the top rail and the floor. The intermediate rail may be replaced by balusters or panels;
(3) a toeboard at floor level at least 90 mm high.
At locations where there is a concentration of workers and at other locations where the intermediary guardrails may be subject to extraordinary pressures, they shall be reinforced accordingly.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 12; O.C. 1411-2018, s. 5.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 16.
33.1. Cases where workers must be protected: Workers shall be protected against falls in the following cases:
(1) if they are at risk of falling more than 3 m unless they are only using a means of access or exit;
(2) if they are at risk of falling
(a) into a liquid or dangerous substance;
(b) on a moving component;
(c) on equipment or material that constitute a danger;
(d) from a height of 1,5 m or more in a well, a basin, a tank, a reservoir, a vat, a container for the storing or mixing of substances, or where the workers are handling a load.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 16.
33.2. Safety measures: Where workers must be protected in accordance with section 33.1 and subject to section 33.3, one or several of the following measures shall be taken by the employer to ensure the safety of workers:
(1) change the work position of workers so that they can work on the ground or on another surface from which they are not at risk of falling;
(2) install guardrails or a system which, by limiting the movements of workers, prevent them from being at risk of falling;
(3) use common protective devices and equipment, such as a safety net in accordance with section 354;
(4) ensure that workers wear safety harnesses secured to an anchorage system by a fall arrest connecting device, in accordance with section 347 when they are working. When workers cannot position themselves without the help of their fall arrest connecting device, ensure that they also use a means of positioning, such as a plank on brackets, a positioning tether or strap, a suspension cable or a platform;
(5) use another means that ensures equivalent safety for workers.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 16.
33.3. Installation of guardrails: Guardrails must be placed on open sides of a roof or around any area from which workers may fall:
(1) into a liquid or dangerous substance;
(2) a height of 1,5 m or more in a well, a basin, a tank, a reservoir, a vat, a container for the storing or mixing of substances, or where the workers are handling a load; or
(3) a height greater than 3 m in other cases.
Despite the foregoing, the guardrail may be removed during the time of the work if it prevents the carrying out of a task that could not be reasonably performed otherwise. In such a case, workers must wear a safety harness secured to an anchorage system by a fall arrest connecting device, in accordance with section 347. The work area must then be delimited in particular by a continuous barrier or trestles of a minimum height of 0,7 m, located at a distance varying between 0,9 m and 1,2 m from the place where workers are at risk of falling, or by a warning line complying with the requirements of section 354.1, so as to prevent access thereto by persons not working therein.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 16.
33.4. Water basins: Sections 33.1 to 33.3 do not apply to water basins used for leisure purposes.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 16.
33.5. Warning line instead of a guardrail: Despite section 33.3, during roofing work, a warning line complying with section 354.1 may be installed to replace the use of a guardrail and delimit a work area on a roof with a slope equal to or less than 15° 3/12).
In such a case, another recognized protection mechanism against falls, such as a safety harness secured to an anchorage system by a fall arrest connecting device in accordance with section 347 shall be used outside the area delimited by the warning line.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 16.
Following the guidelines outlined below is mandatory if the roof access hatch has service stairs or a permanent ladder installed.
21. Work station access: Machines, machine rooms or service platforms for these machines, which constitute a work station, shall, if they are situated above or below a floor and if they are not serviced by a stairway, be accessible by a service stairway, an access ramp or a fixed ladder.
However, access to such a place by means of a fixed ladder is prohibited when a worker cannot use both hands for holding onto the side rails or rungs of the permanent ladder.
This section does not apply to a vehicle.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 21.
22. Service stairs: Any service stairs shall:
(1) have a minimum width of 550 mm for stairways built or modified on or after 2 August 2001;
(2) have a slope between at least 20° and at most 50° with the horizontal, except for stairways installed before 1 January 1973 which may have a slope up to 60°;
(3) be provided with guardrails securely fastened and supported on the open sides, including landings;
(4) be provided with steps having:
(a) a uniform depth and width in any one flight;
(b) a depth of at least 150 mm (nose excluded);
(c) a maximum height of 240 mm, except for stairs built before 1 January 1973 for which the stair height may reach 280 mm;
(5) have a free space of at least 2 m above each stair, measured from the nose or the forward part of the stair.
The depth of stairs on circular or spiral service stairs shall measure 230 mm from the post or the supports for the inside railing.
Subparagraph 5 of the first paragraph applies only to stairs built, installed or modified on or after 2 August 2001 and whose construction, installation or modification does not require a modification of the existing building structure. Stairs that do not have to comply with subparagraph 5 shall have an adequate warning sign.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 22; O.C. 1411-2018, s. 9.
22.1. Ramp: A ramp must be provided with a guardrail securely fastened and supported on the open sides where the workers are exposed to a falling hazard of 1,5 m or more.
O.C. 1411-2018, s. 10.
23. Permanent ladders: Permanent ladders used to replace service stairs shall:
(1) be of safe construction and solidly anchored to withstand a mass of 90 kg at the centre of the rungs with a safety factor of 4;
(2) for ladders exceeding 9 m, have rest platforms equipped with guardrails, at least at 6 m intervals;
(3) have a free space behind the rungs of at least 150 mm;
(4) have a free space on each side of at least 375 mm and forward of at least 800 mm, measured from the centre of a rung;
(5) extend 900 mm beyond the top storey;
(6) be provided with guardrails surrounding the floor opening with a removable gate for access to the ladder;
(7) be provided with a fall arrestor in compliance with CSA Standard Z259.2.5 Fall Arresters and Vertical Lifelines, or CSA Standard Z259.2.4 Fall Arresters and Vertical Rigid Rails where there is danger of a fall greater than 6 m.
Subparagraphs 3 and 4 of the first paragraph apply only to permanent ladders built, installed or modified on or after 2 August 2001.
Despite subparagraph 7, permanent ladders installed before 3 January 2019 may, until they are modified, be provided with crinolines, cages or a fall arrestor in compliance with CAN/CSA Standard Z259.2.1-98 Fall Arresters, Vertical Lifelines and Rails, where there is danger of a fall greater than 6 m.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 23; O.C. 1411-2018, s. 11.
24. Exception: Notwithstanding subparagraph 2 of section 23, the fixed ladders servicing elevated towers, water reservoirs or other elevated constructions to which workers only occasionally have access, may be exempt from rest platforms.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 24; O.C. 1411-2018, s. 12.
25. Compliance with the standard: Any portable ladder and any stepladder used on a work site shall be manufactured and certified in accordance with CSA Z11 standard, Portable Ladders, applicable at the time of its manufacture.
This section does not apply to three-rail orchard ladders.
O.C. 885-2001, s. 25; O.C. 502-2018, s. 1.
Source: Regulation respecting occupational health and safety
The following specifications need to be met if the roof access hatch is being built.
Maintenance and arrangement of the work site: Traffic lanes, passages and any work site in general shall:
(a) be kept free of any obstacle and well-cleared;
(b) be kept free of all snow, ice, oil or grease;
(c) be sprinkled with sand or any other non-skid product in order to prevent slipping and falling;
(d) not be obstructed with equipment, tools or material;
(e) not be cluttered with waste products from a mechanical tool;
(f) be illuminated by natural or artificial lighting so as to provide the following lighting levels:
i. 50 lux on traffic lanes and passages used by workers;
ii. 250 lux for rough work, such as casing, concrete pouring or carpentry;
iii. 550 lux for finishing work using a machine or tool, such as a circular saw, a nailing gun or a welding machine;
iv. 800 lux for precision mechanical work;
(g) have a minimum width of 600 mm between machines, installations or piles of materials or goods. This width shall be increased according to the danger present or the size of the parts to be handled;
(h) (paragraph revoked);
(i) have no opening at floor or roof level, unless the opening is surrounded by guard-rails or closed by a load resistant cover for any loads to which it may be subjected, but not less than 2.4 kN/m2. If the cover or guard-rails interfere with the carrying out of the work, the cover or the guard-rails may be removed and replaced, for the duration of the work, by installing a continuous barrier or trestles of a minimum height of 0.7 m, at a distance varying between 0.9 m and 1.2 m from the opening, or a warning line complying with the requirements in section 2.9.4.1.
R.R.Q., 1981, c. S-2.1, r. 6, s. 3.1.4; O.C. 329-94, ss. 27 and 29; O.C. 1413-98, s. 11; O.C. 35-2001, s. 11; O.C. 606-2014, s. 9; O.C. 640-2019, s. 2.