Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Welcome to Chapter two. This study guide covers all nine sections of the Arborists in Proximity material. Let's again go over the call out boxes you'll see throughout this material. A CRITICAL call out is used for rules where failure to follow the rule can cause serious injury or death, and where the rule is highly likely to appear on the exam. Treat these as non-negotiable. An EXAM TIP call out is used to highlight specific exam strategies, common test traps, and information about how a concept is typically tested. A CROSS-REFERENCE call out is used to show how a concept connects to other rules within this chapter, or to the other two chapters of the curriculum, which are Line Clearing Operations and Electrical Utility Safety Rules. Many exam questions test these connections. And a NOTE call out is used for clarifying context, practical examples, terminology explanations, and background information that supports the rule but isn't a rule in itself.
Section one, Electrical Safety Compliance.
Section one, Electrical Safety Compliance.
In Ontario, all arborists working in proximity to electrical apparatus must follow four sources of compliance, and the most stringent requirement always wins.
The Four Compliance Sources are: OHSA and Regulations, which is the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations; Electrical Utility Safety Rules, or EUSR, as they apply to arborists; Local Utility and Controlling Authority Policies; and Employer Safe Work Practices and Procedures, for example the Davey Safety and Training Manual.
Critical: The Most-Stringent Rule. Whichever document holds the most stringent requirements for a given situation shall be considered the authority. When two sources disagree, you follow whichever one demands MORE safety, MORE PPE, or MORE clearance, never less. Exam tip: be ready to identify all four compliance documents and the most-stringent rule. Test questions often present a scenario where two sources conflict and ask which one governs.
Compliance Document Number one is the Occupational Health and Safety Act, or OHSA, and Regulations. This is the cornerstone legislation for workplace health and safety in Ontario. Its purpose is to: protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job; set out duties for all workplace parties and rights for workers; establish procedures for dealing with workplace hazards; and provide for enforcement when voluntary compliance fails.
Note: the Internal Responsibility System, or IRS, is fundamental to the successful working of the OHSA. It will be covered in detail in Section two.
Key Sections of the OHSA: General sections are three, four, fifty, fifty-one, and fifty-two. Right to know sections are thirty-seven and thirty-eight. Right to participate sections are eight, nine, and ten. Right to refuse unsafe work sections are forty-three, forty-four, forty-five, forty-six, forty-seven, forty-eight, and forty-nine. Duties of employer sections are twenty-five, twenty-six, and twenty-nine. Duties of worker is Section twenty-eight. Duties of supervisor is Section twenty-seven. Duties of suppliers of equipment is Section thirty-one. And penalties sections are fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, sixty-two, and sixty-six.
Exam tip: you don't need to memorize every section number, but know which OHSA section covers which duty. Section twenty-five and twenty-six equal employer duties. Section twenty-seven equals supervisor duties. Section twenty-eight equals worker duties. Section thirty-one equals supplier duties. These come up repeatedly in Section two.
Compliance Document Number two covers Provincial Regulations. Provincial Regulations state specific requirements under the Act, and how to interpret the Act for the type of work being performed. Two regulations are relevant to arborist work.
Construction Regulations apply to construction work, which is defined broadly to include: erection, alteration, repair, dismantling, and demolition; structural maintenance and painting; land clearing, earth moving, grading, excavating, trenching, digging, boring, and drilling; blasting and concreting; installation of any machinery or plant; and any work or undertaking in connection with a project. This excludes any work or undertaking underground in a mine.
Note: line clearing operations performed in connection with a construction project, for example clearing for new infrastructure, fall under Construction Regulations.
Industrial Regulations apply to individuals and workplaces that provide a service in support of industry, typically the care and maintenance of an industrial establishment. An "industrial establishment" equals an office building, factory, arena, shop or office, and any land, buildings, and structures appertaining thereto. Note: routine line clearance maintenance on a utility's existing distribution system is generally treated under Industrial Regulations in Ontario, though the line between Industrial and Construction can depend on the project.
Key Section Topics Across Both Regulations: under Construction Regulations, Protective Clothing, Equipment, Devices are Sections twenty-one through twenty-seven; Housekeeping is Sections thirty-five through forty-eight; Traffic Control is Sections thirty-five through forty-eight; Chainsaw is Section one hundred twelve; Elevating Work Platforms are Sections one hundred forty-three through one hundred forty-nine; Cranes are Section one hundred fifty; and Electrical Hazards are Sections one hundred eighty-one through one hundred ninety-five point three. Under Industrial Regulations, General sections are four, five, six, eleven, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, and twenty-nine; Chainsaw is Section thirty-nine; Electrical sections are forty-two point two, forty-three, forty-four, forty-four point one, and forty-four point two; Material Handling sections are forty-five, forty-six, fifty-one, fifty-two, fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-nine, sixty, sixty-one, and sixty-six; Ladders is Section seventy-three; and PPE sections are seventy-nine, eighty, eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three, eighty-four, eighty-five, and eighty-six.
Exam tip: the Electrical Hazards sections under Construction, which are Sections one hundred eighty-one through one hundred ninety-five point three, include the well-known three meters, or ten feet, rule for any line over seven hundred fifty volts, which is the OHSA general minimum that appears throughout the curriculum.
Compliance Document Number three is the Electrical Utility Safety Rules, or EUSR. It governs conduct pertaining to electrical safety and working within proximity to electrical conductors. This is Chapter three of your curriculum and will be studied in depth later. For now, you need to know which EUSR rules apply specifically to arborist operations in proximity.
Exam tip: you don't have to memorize every number, but these are the EUSR rules you are most likely to be tested on. Pay particular attention to: Rule one hundred seven, which covers Job Planning; Rule one hundred seventeen, which covers Hold-Offs; Rule one hundred twenty-three, which covers Aerial Devices; Rule one hundred twenty-nine, which covers Safe Limits of Approach; Rule one hundred thirty, which covers Items in Direct Contact with Energized Apparatus; Rule one hundred thirty-four, which covers Tools and Equipment Testing; Rule one hundred thirty-five, which covers Rubber Glove Work; and Rule one hundred forty-five, which covers Overhead Conductor Insulation.
Cross-reference: all of these EUSR rules will be studied in detail in Chapter three. The Arborists in Proximity chapter shows you HOW to apply them; the EUSR Chapter three gives you the full text.
Compliance Document Number four covers Employer Safe Work Practices. Examples from the Davey Safety and Training Manual show that it: provides employees with current safety and operational procedures and information; exceeds OHSA regulations in many areas, because employer policies are often MORE stringent than the legal minimum; and is used in conjunction with OHSA, EUSR, and the employer's Career Development Program to achieve compliance.
Exam tip: remember the most-stringent rule. When the employer manual demands MORE than OHSA, the employer manual governs. When OHSA demands MORE than the employer manual, OHSA governs.
Applicable Manual Sections for Arborist Operations in Proximity include: Personal Protective Equipment; Job Site Safety; Electrical Hazards; Mobile Equipment; and Arborist Climbing and Rescue.
The Competent Worker is at the centre of compliance. The compliance system relies on the competent worker at the centre. A competent worker: knows which documents apply; knows how to determine which is most stringent for their situation; has the training, knowledge, and experience to apply the rules correctly; and recognizes when they need to escalate to a supervisor or controlling authority.
Cross-reference: the "Competent Person" definition matches what was established in LCO Chapter one Definitions: qualified by knowledge, training, and experience, familiar with the OHSA and Regulations, and with knowledge of any potential or actual danger to health and safety.
Section one key facts to memorize: the four compliance sources are OHSA plus Regulations; EUSR; Controlling Authority policies; and Employer safe work practices. The most-stringent rule means whichever document is most stringent for a given situation is the authority. OHSA section for employer duties is twenty-five and twenty-six and twenty-nine. OHSA section for supervisor duties is twenty-seven. OHSA section for worker duties is twenty-eight. OHSA section for supplier duties is thirty-one. OHSA section for right to refuse unsafe work is forty-three through forty-nine. OHSA section for penalties is fifty-four, fifty-five, fifty-six, fifty-seven, fifty-eight, sixty-two, and sixty-six. Construction Regulations electrical hazards are Sections one eighty-one through one ninety-five point three. EUSR governs conduct pertaining to electrical safety and working in proximity. EUSR rules applicable to arborist proximity work are twenty rules: one hundred, one hundred one, one hundred two, one hundred four, one hundred seven, one hundred twelve, one hundred thirteen, one hundred fourteen, one hundred seventeen, one hundred twenty-two, one hundred twenty-three, one hundred twenty-four, one hundred twenty-eight, one hundred twenty-nine, one hundred thirty, one hundred thirty-four, one hundred thirty-five, one hundred forty-three, one hundred forty-five, and one hundred forty-seven. EUSR Rule one hundred seven covers Job Planning. EUSR Rule one hundred seventeen covers Hold-Offs. EUSR Rule one hundred twenty-nine covers Safe Limits of Approach. EUSR Rule one hundred thirty covers
Items in Direct Contact with Energized Apparatus. EUSR Rule one hundred thirty-five covers Rubber Glove Work. EUSR Rule one hundred forty-five covers Overhead Conductor Insulation. And employer manual applicable sections are PPE, Job Site Safety, Electrical Hazards, Mobile Equipment, and Arborist Climbing and Rescue.