The fall protection hierarchy is the order in which you should consider ways to protect workers from falling: first remove the need to work at height, then prevent falls with guardrails and other barriers, then keep workers back from the edge with travel restraint, and only then rely on systems that stop a fall after it starts. The higher up the list you can go, the less depends on a worker's equipment and actions being perfect every time.
Why the order matters
A personal fall arrest system works only if the anchor is suitable, the harness fits, every connection is made, the clearance below is enough and a rescue can happen quickly. That is a long chain, and any weak link can lead to serious injury even when the fall is stopped. A guardrail, by contrast, protects everyone near it without anyone having to clip in. Provincial occupational health and safety rules across Canada reflect this thinking and generally require employers to use the more protective methods where they are reasonably practicable. The details, including the height at which fall protection is required, vary by province and by type of work, so check the current rules where you operate.
The levels of the hierarchy
1. Eliminate the hazard
The most effective approach is to remove the need to be at height. Assemble components on the ground and lift them into place. Use extendable tools from below. Relocate equipment that needs regular service off the roof or away from open edges. Design new buildings with rooftop units set back from edges and with permanent access. Decisions made at design and planning stages often eliminate fall hazards completely.
2. Passive protection: guardrails, covers and barriers
Guardrails, parapets of adequate height, covers over floor openings, and safety nets protect workers without requiring them to do anything. Guardrails must be built to the strength and dimensions your province requires and must be maintained. Covers must be secured and marked so they are not removed or mistaken for a walking surface.
3. Travel restraint
A travel restraint system uses a harness, lanyard or lifeline and an anchor arranged so the worker physically cannot reach the edge. Because the worker never falls, the forces involved are small, and there is no need for fall clearance or rescue from suspension. Travel restraint works well on flat roofs where a fixed length of line keeps people back from the edge.
4. Fall restricting systems
Some provinces recognize fall restricting systems, such as certain climbing systems on fixed ladders or poles, that limit the distance a worker can fall. These have their own design and use rules.
5. Fall arrest
A personal fall arrest system stops a worker who has already fallen. It includes a suitable anchor, a full-body harness and a connecting device such as an energy-absorbing lanyard or a self-retracting device. Fall arrest must be planned for clearance below the worker, swing fall, and prompt rescue. Equipment should meet the applicable standards in the CSA Z259 series. Check the current editions and your province's requirements.
6. Administrative controls
Where none of the above is practicable for a short task, some provinces allow measures such as control zones or a safety monitor under strict conditions. These rely entirely on people and procedures and are the least protective option. Check whether your province permits them and under what conditions.
Fall arrest is not the default. It is easy to hand out harnesses and call it fall protection. Before choosing fall arrest, document why elimination, guardrails and travel restraint will not work for the task.
Putting the hierarchy into a fall protection plan
Where workers may fall from a height that requires protection under your province's rules, a written fall protection plan is commonly required or strongly advisable. A good plan:
- Identifies each fall hazard on the site and the tasks that expose workers to it
- States the fall protection method for each hazard and why it was chosen
- Names the anchors to be used and confirms they are suitable
- Calculates clearance for any fall arrest system
- Describes how equipment will be inspected and maintained
- Describes how a fallen worker will be rescued
- Is reviewed with workers before the work starts
Working down the list: a typical case
A property manager needs technicians to service a rooftop unit that sits a short distance from an unprotected roof edge, several times a year. Working through the hierarchy looks like this:
- Eliminate. Can the unit be relocated, or serviced from below? Not without major work, but the question is recorded, and relocation is noted for the next roof replacement.
- Passive protection. Can a guardrail be installed along the edge near the unit? A non-penetrating freestanding guardrail system may suit the roof, and it protects everyone, including other trades who visit.
- Travel restraint. If a guardrail cannot be installed right away, an engineered anchor placed back from the edge, with a lanyard short enough that a worker cannot reach the edge, keeps everyone on the roof.
- Fall arrest. Only where the work must happen at the edge itself, and only with a suitable anchor, a clearance check and a written rescue plan.
The result is usually a combination: a guardrail for the area around the unit, travel restraint for the access route, and a written plan that explains why each method was chosen.
Documenting the choice
A short table in the fall protection plan makes the reasoning visible to workers, supervisors and auditors:
| Task or area | Method chosen | Why higher methods were not used |
|---|---|---|
| Rooftop unit service | Guardrail around the work area | Unit cannot be relocated in the short term |
| Access route from hatch to unit | Travel restraint on a fixed line | Guardrail along the full route not practical on this roof |
| Gutter repair at the edge | Fall arrest with clearance check and rescue plan | Work must be done at the edge; restraint would prevent the task |
Common mistakes
- Choosing fall arrest when a guardrail or restraint line would have been practical
- Using a lanyard that is too long for the available clearance, so the worker would hit the level below before the fall is stopped
- Tying off to pipes, conduit, ducts or railings that were never meant to be anchors
- Ignoring swing fall when the anchor is not directly overhead
- Having no plan to rescue a worker suspended in a harness
- Assuming workers know how to use equipment without training on it
For more on anchors and rescue, see Anchor points for fall protection and Fall rescue plans. The same reasoning applies to all workplace hazards and is covered in The hierarchy of controls.
How ehZee can help
We review where people work at height on your sites, assess whether the fall protection chosen is the most protective practical option, and write fall protection plans with you. See our lift safety and fall arrest service.
Common questions
At what height is fall protection required?
Each province sets its own threshold, and several require protection at lower heights where there is an unusual risk, such as working above machinery, water or hazardous materials. Check the rules for your province and type of work.
Is travel restraint safer than fall arrest?
Generally yes, because the worker cannot reach the edge and never falls. It still depends on correct anchors, line length and use, so it needs planning and training.