Fall Protection Rescue Plan Template

Fall Protection Rescue Plan Template

Fast-Fact Summary Box

• Template Type: Site-Specific Safety & Risk Management Protocol
• Governing Framework: OHSA & O. Reg. 213/91 Fall Protection Controls
• Target Trade: Roofing, Envelope & Elevated Work Contractors
• Primary Operational Risk: Rescue timing, anchor points, harness inspection, and emergency-role assignment

Scope Boundaries (Who/What it applies to)

This template applies to all Roofing, Envelope & Elevated Work Contractors executing work at heights exceeding 3 metres, or where fall hazards exist over machinery, open water, or hazardous substances. The scope encompasses all site personnel, including prime contractors, subcontractors, and third-party inspectors. It defines the physical boundaries of the work area, including structural anchor points, temporary horizontal lifelines, travel restraint systems, and personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). Administratively, this template governs emergency-role assignment, rescue timing limits (targeting suspension trauma prevention within 15 minutes), and equipment-specific rescue methods such as self-rescue, assisted mechanical rescue, or elevated work platform retrieval.

Mandatory Deliverables & Administrative Windows

• Pre-Start Deliverables: Completed Site-Specific Fall Protection Rescue Plan, engineered anchor point certification letters, and documented pre-use harness inspections.
• Daily Deliverables: Pre-shift safety huddles, daily harness and lanyard inspection logs, and active rescue equipment verification (e.g., rescue ladders, trauma straps, and retrieval blocks).
• Administrative Windows: Rescue plans must be submitted to the Constructor at least 10 business days prior to mobilization. Any modification to anchor points or rescue equipment requires a revised plan submission within 24 hours.
• Closeout Deliverables: Post-project equipment inspection certificates, incident/near-miss logs, and signed-off worker training records.

Ontario Regulatory Compliance Notes

Under Section 26.1 of O. Reg. 213/91, employers must provide a written rescue plan before workers use a fall arrest system. This safety mandate directly intersects with project management, estimating, and contract administration under the Ontario Construction Act:

• Invoice Validation: Invoices submitted for fall protection equipment mobilization or safety-related milestones are legally deemed proper unless the owner delivers a formal written notice of deficiency within 7 days of receipt. Missing this 7-day window forfeits the right to dispute invoice form and triggers the 28-day prompt-payment timeline.
• Annual Holdback Release: For multi-year envelope or roofing contracts, owners must publish a Notice of Annual Release of Holdback (Form 6) on an electronic construction trade news website within 14 days after each contract anniversary. Payment of the accrued basic holdback must occur between day 60 and day 74 after publication, provided no liens are preserved.
• Holdback Restrictions: The former section 27.1 notice-of-non-payment mechanism for refusing holdback distribution due to deficient or incomplete work is repealed. Holdback use is strictly restricted to formal contract abandonment, termination, or preserved lien risk.
• Adjudication Window: Parties have a strict 90-day window after contract completion, abandonment, or termination to initiate interim binding adjudication through ODACC or a qualified private adjudicator regarding safety-related backcharges or unpaid contract balances.

Form/Sign-off Requirements

• Competent Person Sign-off: Signature of the qualified supervisor verifying anchor point structural integrity and rescue plan viability.
• Worker Acknowledgement: Individual worker initials and signatures confirming review of the rescue plan, harness fit-test, and emergency role assignments.
• Equipment Verification: Daily sign-off on the harness and lanyard inspection log by the end-user.
• Constructor Approval: Written sign-off by the Constructor's site superintendent prior to any elevated work commencing.
• Record Retention: All signed rescue plans, daily logs, and training records must be retained on-site for the duration of the project and archived for a minimum of 3 years post-completion.

Official Verification Sources

• Ontario Construction Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. C.30
• O. Reg. 304/18 (Procedures and Forms)