This tool has no legal or regulatory value. It is provided as an aid for engineers specializing in fall protection and for OHS officers and horizontal lifeline system (HLLS) users who wish to assess whether their HLLS installations are compliant. This tool is not a substitute for the opinion of a qualified engineer and must be used with caution. Only people with the appropriate knowledge and experience are qualified to use it.
Under section 2.10.15 of the Safety Code for the Construction Industry (S2.1, r. 4):
The fall arrest connecting device of a safety harness must be secured to:
(2)
a flexible continuous anchorage system (horizontal life line) with one of the following characteristics:
- in compliance with the following minimum standards:
- a steel cable of a minimum diameter of 12 mm slackened to a minimum angle of 1 vertical to 12 horizontal, or 5° from horizontal;
- a maximum distance of 12 m between the end anchors;
- end anchors with a breaking strength of at least 90 kN;
- not to be used by more than 2 workers at a time;
- designed and installed in accordance with an engineer’s plan in compliance with CSA Standard Z259.13 Flexible Horizontal Lifeline Systems and CSA Standard Z259.16 Design of Active FallProtection Systems.
The hierarchy of control measures (elimination of hazard at source, collective protection measures, personal protective equipment) must be respected at all times.
This tool is not to be used to design an HLLS in the following cases:
- When a synthetic cable is to be used
- When a shock absorber is used for the horizontal lifeline
Before launching the tool, users should refer to the section Scope and Limitations. It is also recommended that they read the Terms and conditions of the IRSST website, as well as the research report associated with the development of this Web based tool.
