Week 6, Wednesday: OMG-- Last section of the PTH

The appendices might be the most useful section of the whole book. The reading assignment will lead you through the information available there.

For all the safety information, the appropriate Manitoba Workplace Health and Safety Regulations supersede.

The Table of Contents begins on page 62.

 So for example here are details from a few of the sections:

The Regulations begin with a section on definitions and a section that outlines the repsonsibilities workers and supervisors in the workplace.

DUTIES OF WORKERS General duties of workers 5 Every worker while at work shall, in accordance with the objects and purposes of this Act, (a) take reasonable care to protect his safety and health and the safety and health of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work; (b) at all times, when the nature of his work requires, use all devices and wear all articles of clothing and personal protective equipment designated and provided for his protection by his employer, or required to be used and worn by him by the regulations; The Workplace Safety And Health Act 9 (c) consult and co-operate with the workplace safety and health committee, where such a committee exists, regarding the duties and matters with which that committee is charged under this Act; (d) consult and co-operate with the worker safety and health representative, where such a representative has been designated, regarding the duties and matters with which that representative is charged under this Act; (e) comply with this Act and the regulations; and (f) co-operate with any other person exercising a duty imposed by this Act or the regulations.

 PPE Section 6.3

6.2(1) An employer must (a) develop and implement safe work procedures for the use of personal protective equipment in the workplace; (b) train workers in those safe work procedures; and (c) ensure that workers comply with those safe work procedures.

 Ladders See Section 13 (check out the requirements for job-built ladders)

13.16(2) Without limiting subsection (1), an employer must ensure that (a) where a portable ladder is used as a means of access to a platform, roof or other landing, it extends at least one metre above the platform, roof or other landing; and (b) for a portable ladder other than a stepladder, it is placed against a structure so that the slope of the ladder is no more than 1:4. 

13.18 An employer must ensure that a worker using (a) a stepladder or other commercially manufactured portable ladder does so in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and safe operating instructions; and (b) a portable ladder other than a stepladder (i) does not extend any part of his or her body, except his or her arms, beyond the side rails of the ladder, and (ii) maintains a three-point contact on the ladder at all times.  

Job built ladder

Fall Protection is in section 14

 14.1(1) This Part applies to every workplace where there is a risk of a worker falling (a) a vertical distance of 3 m or more; (b) a vertical distance of less than 3 m where there is an increased risk of injury due to the surface or item on which the worker might land; (c) into operating machinery or moving parts of the machinery; (d) into water or another liquid; (e) into or onto a hazardous substance or object; (f) through an opening on a work surface; or (g) a vertical distance of more than 1.2 m from an area used as a path for a wheelbarrow or similar equipment. 

Confined Spaces is in Section 15

15.2(2) The safe work procedures must include (a) procedures for recognizing the risks associated with working in the confined space; (b) procedures for isolating — including blanking, disconnecting, interrupting and locking out — pipes, lines and sources of energy from a confined space; (c) safety and personal protective equipment to be used; (d) procedures for communicating with a standby worker; (e) an emergency response plan and rescue procedures to be implemented in the event of an accident or other emergency in a confined space; and (f) information about the entry permit system under section 15.4.

15.12 Despite any other provision of this Part, an employer must not require or permit (a) a worker to enter a confined space if the oxygen content level in the space is above 23%; or (b) a worker, other than a firefighter responding to an emergency, to enter a confined space if a concentration of a flammable or explosive substance in the confined space cannot be reduced to less than 10% of its lower explosive limit.

 Fire and Explosive Hazards Section 19

19.3(1) Fire protection equipment and fire extinguishers An employer must ensure that (a) fire protection equipment of an appropriate type and sufficient size and capacity to be effective is installed in the workplace in accordance with the Manitoba Fire Code; and (b) portable fire extinguishers are located in the workplace in accordance with the Manitoba Fire Code. 19.3(2) An employer must ensure that all fire protection equipment and portable fire extinguishers are maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications and the Manitoba Fire Code.

 Cranes and Hoists Section 23 (Section 23.33(1) has specific regulations regarding rigging)

23.3(1) Operator requirements An employer must ensure that only a person who is authorized to practise the trade of crane and hoist operator under the Trade of Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator Regulation, Manitoba Regulation 91/2000. is allowed to operate (a) a mobile crane with a rated load of 7,300 kg or more; (b) a boom truck hoist with a rated load of 7,300 kg or more; or (c) a tower crane.

23.13(1) Unless the operator of a crane or hoist has an unobstructed and clear view of its operation, an employer must designate a signal person to give the operator signals to provide for the safe operation of the crane or hoist. 23.13(2) Except for an emergency stop signal, an operator must not follow any signal given by any worker other than the designated signal person. 

Section 25 Governs vicinity work around overhead power lines

25.1 This Part applies to every workplace where work is done (a) within 3 m of an overhead electrical line; or (b) using equipment or machinery from a location from which it, or any part of it, is capable of coming within 3 m of an overhead electrical line. 

Section 26 Governs Excavations and Tunnels (Trenches)

26.16(1) An employer who requires or permits a worker to enter a trench that has a depth of 1.5 m or less must ensure that a support structure is installed in it, but only if there is a danger of cave-in, collapse or material sliding or rolling into the trench due to soil or work conditions at the construction project site. Workplace Safety And Health Regulation 245 26.16(2) An employer who requires or permits a worker to enter a trench that has a depth of more than 1.5 m but not more than 4.5 m must ensure that (a) shoring that is constructed of components that meet the minimum requirements for the applicable soil conditions set out in the Schedule to this Part is installed; or (b) an alternative that is designed and certified by a professional engineer is used for stabilizing the walls of the trench.

The regulations have a table for section 26,  starting on p. 254, that lays out the requirements for shoring which reflects the type of soil in which the trench or excavation occurs.

Section 28 Governs Scaffolds and other elevated work platforms

28.1(2) Except for work of short duration that can be done safely from a ladder, an employer must ensure that a worker engaged in work that cannot be done from the ground or other safe elevation is provided with a scaffold or an elevated work platform.

28.6(1) An employer must ensure that a scaffold (a) can safely support, and its footing, sills and similar supports can support without undue settlement or deformation, at least four times the maximum load that will be or is likely to be imposed on it; (b) if partially or fully enclosed, has components and tie-ins that are adequate to support any added load that may be imposed on it by wind, wind gusts or other environmental conditions;(c) is installed plumb and is stabilized by (i) having its vertical and horizontal members braced to prevent lateral movement, Workplace Safety And Health Regulation 261 (ii) being anchored and securely guyed or tied back to the building or structure, or to a fixed support, at the intervals recommended (A) by a professional engineer, if the scaffold was designed by a professional engineer, or (B) by the manufacturer, if the scaffold was commercially manufactured, but in no case at vertical and horizontal intervals of more than three times the minimum lateral dimension of the scaffold;  

This section also has specifics for scissor lifts. For example:

28.39(3) Despite subsection (1), a fall arrest system is not required for a worker who remains within the confines of the guardrail of a scissor lift while the lift is being raised or lowered. 

Part 35 governs WHMIS

35.3(1) An employer must ensure that a worker who works with or near a controlled product or performs work involving the manufacture of a controlled product receives training in the following: (a) the content required to be on a supplier label and a workplace label and the purpose and significance of the information on the label; (b) the content required to be on a material safety data sheet and the purpose and significance of the information on the material safety data sheet; (c) procedures for safely storing, using and handling the controlled product; (d) if applicable, the methods of identification referred to in section 35.7; (e) the procedures to be followed if there are fugitive emissions; (f) the procedures to be followed in case of an emergency involving the controlled product.