THE PROMPT
Newsletter of the Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
Volume 7, No. 11, December 2015
SAFETY TIPS
WORKING AT HEIGHTS
Falls from heights are a safety concern for recyclers, with falls from ladders being one of the most common injuries in our industry. Numerous government resources exist online to help prevent these unfortunate accidents. Proper training, safe use of equipment, diligent risk assessment, and adequate supervision can significantly reduce falls.
Risk Assessment
When work at heights is to be done, a proper assessment of the situation must be completed to identify potential risks and hazards. This work should always be supervised, and should not be completed in poor weather, or without the necessary safety equipment. This includes acknowledging that working at various heights may require a change in safety equipment.
Fall Protection Plan
Depending on which jurisdiction your work site is in, applicable legislation should be consulted to determine what specific equipment and inspection procedures are to be used. Based on certain vertical heights (generally 3-7.5 metres (10-25 feet), without permanent guardrails), a site-specific, written, fall protection plan must be in place. At a minimum, this plan should outline potential hazards, safety equipment to be used, inspection procedures for equipment, and the procedure for handling a worker fall.
Fall Protection Measures
- Depending on the situation and height at which work will completed, one or more of the following fall protection methods should be used:
- Based on provincial requirements, guardrails should be installed at the edges of the construction site, including on roofs and scaffoldings;
- Full body harnesses and safety nets should be used to stop workers in mid-fall, preventing them from hitting the surface below;
- Harnesses and lanyards must be properly fitted to prevent injury;
- The harness, lanyard, and its anchor point must be correctly positioned and they must all be the appropriate sizes and lengths (as determined by an engineer), accounting for any expected stretch in material that would result from a fall.
[su_divider top=”no”]
SWITCH OUT REMINDER
The Switch Out program is now conducting a fall collection sweep of mercury-containing switches and ABS sensor modules from end-of-life vehicles. Please remember to return your collection container or any extra pails you won’t be using to a Switch Out recycling facility in your area. Please contact program coordinators at [email protected] or call (416) 922-2448 ext. 345, or contact CARI staff at [email protected] for more information.
[su_divider top=”no”]
CARI EVENTS
75th Annual Convention
June 9-11
Ottawa, Ontario
[su_divider top=”no”]
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
International Indian Metals Recycling Conference
January 22-23
Delhi India
Steel Tube and Pipe Conference
March 8-10
Houston, Texas
ISRI 2016 Convention & Exposition
April 2-7
Las Vegas, Nevada
[su_divider top=”no”]
Canadian Association of Recycling Industries
130 Albert Street Suite 1906
Ottawa, On K1P 5G4
Canada
Telephone: 613-728-6946
Fax: 705-835-6196
French