WorkSafe BC and Alberta OHS Code are two of a select few provincial legal frameworks in Canada which aim to ensure your health and safety in the workplace dealing with rope access. As a certified rope tech, you should be aware of these frameworks and how they protect you.
During your IRATA Assessment, all levels will be asked to demonstrate awareness of IRATA International’s system and its relationship to the legal requirements of your operating country or province.
L3 certifying techs will be asked to go one step further and demonstrate competence in this area. You should have a strong familiarity with all regulations relevant to rope access activities. They are the legislation's you've been working under for at least the past two years at that point, so there should already be some basic familiarity with how these apply.
We’ve included hyperlinks to the relevant British Columbia and Alberta Regulations below. You’re definitely going to want to set aside some time to go through these documents in detail (ideally before your first day of training).
On Assessment day, be prepared to answer questions regarding legislation in either a practical or desk-based demonstration of your awareness/competence. That said, if you don’t know the answer, don’t sweat it. We don’t really expect you to know these documents inside out and backwards, but we do expect you to know where you’d need to look to find the information we’re asking for (especially if you’re a L3). As an example, you might say ‘I don’t know, but let me refer to WorkSafe BC Part 34 for that information’, and that would be a perfectly appropriate answer.
Now if you are able to answer a legislation-related question off hand, of course that’s even better.
Additional resources to check out:
TACS 6.2.2 for the source material for this blog.
Does Your Work Fall Under Part 34 of the WorkSafe BC Regulation? - Blog Post
*WorkSafe BC Regulations – Part 34 Rope Access
*WorkSafe BC Regulations – Part 11 Fall Protections
* Alberta OHS Code – Part 41 Rope Access
* Alberta OHS Code – Part 9 Fall Protection
(*) a summary of these regulations an be found in Chapter 10 (Legislation) of your Pacific Ropes L1 Training Manual, but it is recommended you also read both documents in full.
ICOP Part 4 for UK legislation, HSE approved codes of practice and guidance.
This section of the ICOP includes the UK’s regulations for working at height, PPE, and dealing with specific types of hazards. It also includes a section on their standards and legal requirements. Although UK regulations are not necessarily similar to the regulations you’ll find in North America, reading this section of the ICOP (alongside the WorkBC and/or Alberta OHS Code documents we’ve hyperlinked above) will give you a better idea of the regulations governing IRATA as an association and where you, your health and safety, fit into the puzzle. In many cases, IRATA provides controls that exceed these legislations, but of course there are always exceptions.
As you build your career as a rope tech, this is all information it will definitely benefit you to be aware of. Happy reading!
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This is part of an ongoing series, where we’re breaking down IRATA’s syllabus and clarifying exactly what ‘demonstrating competence’ and ‘demonstrating awareness’ means, and what will be expected of you on assessment day. To access the IRATA Study Guides, click below:
