Fall Hazard Assessment 101
What Is a Fall Hazard Assessment?
A fall hazard assessment is a detailed evaluation of areas where workers may be exposed to fall risks during routine or non routine tasks.
Our assessments identify:
- Elevated work areas
- Unprotected edges and openings
- Access and egress hazards
- Equipment related fall risks
- Tasks requiring fall protection systems
The outcome is a clear, documented understanding of your hazards and the steps required to control or eliminate them.
When Is a Fall Hazard Assessment Required?
Fall hazard assessments are recommended and often required when:
- Workers are exposed to heights
- New equipment or processes are introduced
- Facility layouts change
- Roofs, mezzanines, or platforms are accessed
- Regulatory compliance reviews are needed
- Annual fall protection programs are being updated
OSHA requires employers to identify fall hazards and implement appropriate controls as part of their overall safety responsibilities.
From Assessment to Installation
Unlike many providers, Tritech delivers a truly turnkey approach.
After your fall hazard assessment, we can:
- Support ongoing fall protection programs
- Engineer custom fall protection systems
- Manage installation with trained technicians
- Provide inspections and recertification
How can we do your site assessment?
Onsite Hazard Assessment
Tritech’s onsite hazard assessments use a proven, time tested process to identify fall hazards across your facility. Our specialists evaluate work areas where employees are exposed to height related risks and assess existing conditions to determine the most effective fall protection solutions aligned with how work is actually performed.
Virtual Hazard Assessment
Virtual hazard assessments provide a high level or preliminary review for facilities such as rooftops. Using satellite imaging and a guided screen share session, our team identifies hazard zones in accordance with OSHA and ANSI regulations and works with your team to determine effective fall protection solutions efficiently.
Multi Facility Hazard Assessment
For organizations with multiple locations, Tritech offers coordinated multi facility hazard assessments. We support corporate safety initiatives by aligning fall protection strategies across sites and addressing enterprise wide safety requirements at a national or global level.
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What is a fall hazard assessment?
A fall hazard assessment is a documented evaluation of a facility that identifies every area where a worker could fall during routine or non-routine tasks, maps each exposure to the governing standard, and defines the controls needed to eliminate or reduce it. The deliverable is a written record of your hazards and the steps to fix them.
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What are the 5 potential fall hazards?
The five recurring categories are unprotected edges and open sides; holes and openings, including skylights and pits; improper or missing access to elevated areas; fragile or non-walkable surfaces; and equipment-related exposures such as servicing rooftop units. Canadian OH&S regulations put the duty on the employer to identify and control each of these, and an assessment checks for all five and maps each one to the right control.
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At what height is fall protection required?
In Canada, the trigger is set by the provincial OH&S regulation, or federally by the Canada Labour Code, Part II and the Canada Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, Part XII. The most common trigger is a fall of 3 metres (about 10 feet), but the exact threshold and its conditions vary by province, and several jurisdictions require protection at lower heights for specific work. Ontario construction projects fall under O. Reg. 213/91, Alberta under the OHS Code, Part 9, and British Columbia under the OHS Regulation, Part 11. A fall hazard assessment identifies which regulation governs each exposure at your site.
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What are the 4 types of fall protection?
Fall protection is usually grouped by the hierarchy of controls: elimination (remove the hazard or the need to work at height), passive prevention (guardrails, covers, and other barriers that need no worker action), active fall restraint or fall arrest (harness-and-anchor systems), and administrative controls (warning lines, training, and procedures). The CSA Z259 series defines the equipment and system design those categories draw on. An assessment specifies the highest control on that hierarchy that is feasible for each exposure.
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Is the Tritech fall hazard assessment really free?
Yes. The assessment is free and no-obligation. The written findings are yours regardless of whether you choose to address the hazards with Tritech, which has designed, installed, and recertified fall protection across Canada and the United States since 1993.