General WAH Questions
As a user of fall arrest equipment in the field; how often should your harness and associated equipment be inspected?
Always inspect your gear before each use.
Annual inspections for recertification are done yearly by Safety Advisors.
How often should you be inspecting your fall arrest gear?
Individuals need to inspect their equipment every. single. time. you . use . it.
As a rule of thumb...what type of vehicle should be able to hang from a fall arrest anchor if it is safe to use?
Full Sized Pickup Truck
If you don't think your anchor can hold that truck up, your anchor should not be used.
True or False: If you took Fall Arrest at another site or have a certification from 3M (or other companies) that is valid, you do not need to take Fall Arrest Training on site.
Even I had to take on site Fall Arrest Training after a 6 day long trainer course off site.
After you get a ladder into position, what should be the first thing you do after?
Tie. It. Off.
This prevents it from moving unexpectedly while you are on it.
Specifically underground; how close to an edge that has a fall of greater than 2 metres can you get before you're "at heights"?
3 metres
How would you describe a basic field workers inspection of an SRL?
Check for defects/damage
Check inspection colour
Pull out SRL fully and make sure it retracts
Give it a sharp tug to make sure its internal lock engages
True or False: You anchor to any place on a basket?
False- Use the engineered location- NOT A HANDRAIL
If you didn't take fall arrest training when you did your orientation and you get asked to work at heights....what do you do.
Tell your Shifter that you have not yet completed the training and JY will get it done for you asap.
For every 4 feet that you put up a ladder, how far out should you position the feet?
1 foot out for every 4 feet up is a solid standard to maintain.
What are the two most important duties of the grounds person associated to the working at heights permit?
1- Carry a radio and call a code 1 for every fall regardless of result
2-Understand the approved method of rescue and perform required rescue of the fallen worker
If you were to fall in a harness from heights...and you were dangling...what component is really going to help you comfort wise as well as how long you can be suspended without going into shock?
Trauma Straps- Make sure your harness has them
True or False: All working at heights requires a permit. And all permits need a grounds person (with a radio or access to one in a cab) ?
Can you bring your own fall arrest gear from home to use?
We would prefer not to do this to maintain consistency.
If it was absolutely necessary we would approach H&S for a formal risk assessment first and there is still no promise they would approve off site gear even if it is CSA approved.
So please don't.
Do you need fall arrest if you are working below 6 feet on a ladder?
No.
** Unless there is some sort of significant hazard around you or you can fall further potentially (stairs, near open holes, working near railings etc- significant danger on ground- like protruding rebar )
Name 3 different methods of rescue that are NOT ERT that can be used in the field by a designated grounds person
-Ladder
-Scissor deck unit
-telehandler with basket
True- Remove it from service. Cut it up. Don't wait for someone else to accidentally use it and get hurt.
If you fall from heights but you feel fine do you need to call a CODE 1 ?
Yes- Call a CODE 1 EVERY TIME.
We want to make sure:
-No internal injuries
-No injuries are hidden by adrenaline
-No broken bones or collapsed arteries etc
-No neck and spinal injuries
You can though- let them know when calling the CODE 1 about how the worker is doing and if they feel fine / if they are not fine. That helps ERT response a lot.
If you ever need a refresher on working at heights training or clarification on working at heights rules who do you turn to for this prior to starting a job?
Tell your shifter. Who will then tell Safety to provide the required information or new training.
Where should your body position be when working on a ladder?
Between the rungs.
This helps prevent ladder falls and worker falls.
If you are not able to use a self-retracting lanyard (SRL) on your working at heights job, what are two very important portions of the permit to review and understand before working at heights (as the worker at heights)
-Fall Window Calculations
-Fall Protection equipment
All portions are important to review and understand...but understanding your fall window and the calculations associated to hazards below as well as the equipment being used to ensure you have the correct components are essential
Where can you bring fall arrest gear or components that need inspection when underground?
Hang them on the wall beside the lunch room on 1950 shop and safety will inspect them or remove them from the field.
Do we travel in tele-baskets even if we are tied in?
No.
We get out. Go to the next spot. Get back in.
Yes this is annoying for jobs like vent and services.
But you would be surprised how easy it is to get bucked out of a basket on uneven ground.
In Canada....how many workers on average die each year STILL from workplace falls from heights?
60-70 each year.
And that's at work only.
This does not include home renos etc.
True or False: Whenever possible, should you find something other than a ladder to use (tele,elevated platform, scaffolding) ?
True- Always consider a higher standard of protection. This is called substitution / using engineering controls. We should always be trying to use the best control available to help reduce incident potentials.