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·
CLEANING WITH
COMPRESSED AIR
·
EXITS
·
FLOORS
·
LADDERS
·
STAIRS
No person may use compressed air or steam for blowing dust, chips or other substances from equipment, materials or structures if a person could be exposed to the jet or the material expelled or propelled by the jet.
No person may use compressed air for blowing dust or other substances from clothing being worn by workers unless it is in an area designated for that purpose, the air supply is limited to a pressure not greater than 68.9 kPa (10 P.S.I.), and appropriate protection is worn. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 26)
Emergency lighting must be provided in places of employment that are normally used during periods of darkness or that do not have an available source of natural light. Emergency lighting must provide a minimum level of 10.763 lx (1 foot-candle) at exits.
Where emergency lighting is required it must be from a power source independent of that for the general lighting or shall be controlled by an automatic device that will operate reliably to switch the circuit to an independent secondary power source in the event of failure of the primary power source. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 19)
A work place must have a
safe means of entry and exit appropriate to the conditions of the work area, in
accordance with the latest edition of the National Building Code of Canada and
the National Fire Code of Canada. (General
Safety Regulations 1990, 17)
Working space and office equipment must be so arranged that fire codes
are not violated and exits are easily accessible. (General Safety Regulations
1990, 81)
A floor opening, hole or pit in a floor, roof, walkway or work area
accessible to workers must be barricaded or securely covered. (General Safety
Regulations 1990, 92)
A floor, platform, stair and walkway used by workers shall be maintained in a state of good repair and shall be kept free of hazards. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 23)
Where work processes result in the spillage of liquids on
the floor of a work area and where the spillage could create a slipping or
other hazard, floor drains must be installed or other suitable means shall be
adopted to control the hazard. (General
Safety Regulations 1990, 24)
The employer must ensure that linoleum and other polished floor surfaces are treated with a non-slip preparation, rugs are maintained in good order and that torn or damaged floor coverings are removed or repaired immediately, and entrance steps and stairs to buildings are free of ice and snow at all times. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 80)
Guardrails must be installed where an opensided floor, working platform, runway, walkway or balcony is 1.22 m (4 ft.) or more above grade or floor level.
Guardrails must be installed across glass panels, the lower edges of which are less than 76 cm (30 in.) above the stair tread nosings, ramps, platforms or landings.
A guardrail consists of a top rail, approximately 107 cm (42 in.) above the floor level, and an intermediate rail centred at approximately the mid-point of the space between the underside of the top rail and the floor level or upper edge of the toeboard if one is fitted. The top and intermediate rails of a guardrail must be supported by vertical members spaced not more than 2.4 m (8 ft.) apart. A guardrail must be capable of withstanding a live load of 9 kg (20 lb.) each linear foot applied both horizontally and vertically downward at the top rail. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 91)
A flight of stairs having more than four risers must be equipped with handrails on the open sides of the stairways.
Handrails must be installed on one side of enclosed stairways 112 cm (44 in.) or less in width and on both sides of enclosed stairways more than 112 cm (44 in.) in width.
The top of a handrail must be at a height of 76 cm to 86 cm (30 in. to 34 in.) above the stair tread, measured vertically from the nose of the tread. The height of the handrail must not vary on a flight or succession of flights of stairs.
Where a stairway ends near dangerous traffic or other hazards, detour guardrails must be installed. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 89 - 90)
No person may allow refuse or waste material to accumulate
so as to constitute a hazard. (General
Safety Regulations 1990, 25)
Material or equipment must be so placed, stored or stacked
so as not to constitute a hazard to workers. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 27)
The employer must
ensure that power and telephone outlets, wires and extension cords are not
located where they will cause a tripping hazard. (General Safety Regulations
1990, 80)
The employer must
ensure that materials are not placed on the floor where tripping may
result. (General Safety Regulations
1990, 80)
A working
area shall be provided with the appropriate level of illumination recommended
by the current standard of the Canadian Standards Association and the current
bulletins of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 17)
The minimum levels of illumination in work areas must be set according to the following table.
|
Type of work area |
Minimum level of illumination |
|
Areas where tasks are performed that require close and prolonged attention |
1076.3 lx (100 foot-candles) |
|
File rooms, not including desk areas |
322.89 lx (30 foot-candles) |
|
Areas where typing and general desk work is done |
645.78 lx (60 foot-candles) |
|
Warehouse and transfer areas where packages are checked and sorted |
322.89 lx (30 foot-candles) |
|
Stairways, elevators, corridors, aisles and loading docks |
107.63 lx (10 foot-candles) |
|
Areas in a workshop or garage where benchwork or machine work is performed |
538.15 lx (50 foot-candles) |
|
Areas of workshops used for repair and maintenance of equipment |
322.89 lx (30 foot-candles); |
|
Areas where workers are required to read instruments and gauges and where an error may endanger the safety of the worker or any person |
861.04 lx (80 foot-candles) |
|
First aid rooms · at any part of the body of an injured person · general work areas |
1076.3 lx (100 foot-candles) 538.15 lx (50 foot-candles) |
(General Safety Regulations 1990, 19)
A ladder must be designed, constructed and installed to meet the requirements of the Canadian Standards Association, for portable ladders, the American National Standards Institute, for fixed ladders, or other standards that are acceptable to the Chief Safety Officer. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 246)
If protective coatings are applied to wooden ladders, only transparent coatings or preservatives shall be used.
Portable ladders must be inspected before use and no ladder with loose, broken or missing rungs, split side rails or other hazard-producing defects shall be used.
When in use, a portable single or extension ladder must be so placed that the horizontal distance from its base to its vertical plane of support is approximately 1/4 of the ladder length between supports.
The lower ends of ladder side rails must rest on a firm and level base. The upper part of the side rails must rest on a bearing surface of ample strength to support the applied load.
A ladder must be of sufficient length to project approximately 91.44 cm (3 ft.) above the level of the upper landing to which it provides access.
A portable single or extension ladder must be equipped with a non-slip base or shall be held, tied or otherwise secured to prevent slipping.
No person shall work from the top two rungs of a single or extension ladder or the top two steps of a step-ladder.
No person shall use a metal ladder or wire reinforced wooden ladder near energized electrical equipment.
Standard ladders must not exceed the following lengths:
· Step-ladders - 6.1 m (20 ft.)
· Trestle ladders, or extension sections or base sections of extension trestle ladders - 4.88 m (16 ft.)
· Single ladders - 9.14 m (30 ft.)
· Extension ladders (two sections) - 14.63 m (48 ft.)
· Extension ladders (more than two sections) - 20.12 m (66 ft.)
An extension ladder must be overlapped by the minimum distances in the table below.
|
Length of
ladder (m (ft.)) |
Overlap distance (m (ft.)) |
|
Not exceeding 10.97 (36) |
0.914 (3) |
|
Exceeding 10.97 (36) but not exceeding 14.63 (48) |
1.22 (4) |
|
Exceeding 14.63 (48) up to 20.12 (66) |
1.52 (5). |
A fixed ladder more than 6.1 m (20 ft.) in length must be provided with platforms at intervals not greater than 6.1 m (20 ft.), safety cages, or
acceptable devices to prevent workers from falling.
A continuous clearance space of at least 17.78 cm (7 inches) must be provided behind the rungs of fixed ladders.
Ladder rungs must be omitted above a landing and the side
rails must extend at least 106.68 cm (42 inches) above a landing. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 248 - 259)
The employer must ensure that stairways are equipped with anti-slip treads and suitable handrails and are kept clean and dry. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 80)
A floor opening, permanent walkway and platform 3 m (10 ft.) or more above grade, must be equipped with toe-boards.
A walkway and platform installed over machinery or a work area must be equipped with toe-boards.
The top of a toe-board must be approximately 10.16 cm (4 in.) above the floor or platform on which it is installed and the clearance between the bottom of the toe-board and the floor or platform must not exceed 12.7 mm (0.5 in.). Where materials are stored near a walkway or platform, the toe-boards must be increased in height or solid or mesh panels of appropriate height must be installed to prevent the materials from falling. (General Safety Regulations 1990, 92)
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