Disclaimer: This resource has been prepared to help the workplace parties understand some of their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and regulations. It is not legal advice. It is not intended to replace the OHSA or the regulations. For further information please see full disclaimer.
Ministry of Labour (MOL) personnel have encountered prefabricated aluminum guardrail post assemblies being used incorrectly as fall protection on construction sites. The assembly consists of a post with brackets for horizontal rails (top, intermediate and toe board) inserted into a base assembly which is itself attached to an existing structural member or work surface. A worker was fatally injured by a fall when this type of guardrail failed to protect the worker due to poor installation of the bracket to the work surface.
Figure 1: Improperly installed aluminum guard rails
Figure 2: Aluminum guardrail post assembly
The type of vertical hollow structural section (HSS) aluminum guardrail post and base assembly depicted may not be adequate to support the loads specified in subsection 26.3(5) of Ontario Regulation 213/91 (the Construction Projects Regulation). MOL personnel have encountered these guardrail systems being used on projects without any engineering drawings to indicate the limitations of the system and the maximum loads and load configuration for which the system was designed. Furthermore, there are sometimes no manufacturer’s instructions/documentation for installation requirements, installation procedures and method of securement and strength requirements of the member and structure to which it is ultimately attached. The employer should be able to provide documentation that the guardrail complies with the load requirements outlined in section 26.3(5) of the Construction Regulation.
MOL personnel have observed installation of this guardrail system that is not in compliance with the construction regulation including the following:
For the purposes of checking if the vertical aluminum post was strong enough to withstand the specified forces outlined in subsection 26.3(5), the capacity of an aluminum post assembly was calculated, and it was determined that the posts assembly may not be adequate to support the loads specified in subsection 26.3(5) of Ontario Regulation 213/91.
Call our Health and Safety Contact Centre toll-free at 1-877-202-0008 or visit:
Permission is granted to photocopy Ministry of Labour alerts. Please distribute them widely and post them where people will see them.
ISSN 1195-5228 (HTML)
Disclaimer: This web resource has been prepared to assist the workplace parties in understanding some of their obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and the regulations. It is not intended to replace the OHSA or the regulations and reference should always be made to the official version of the legislation.
It is the responsibility of the workplace parties to ensure compliance with the legislation. This web resource does not constitute legal advice. If you require assistance with respect to the interpretation of the legislation and its potential application in specific circumstances, please contact your legal counsel.
While this web resource will also be available to Ministry of Labour inspectors, they will apply and enforce the OHSA and its regulations based on the facts as they may find them in the workplace. This web resource does not affect their enforcement discretion in any way.
#worksafeON | #workfairON