Revised: April 13, 2015
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3.33 Working at Heights Safe Work Practice While working three meters or more above a work area, a safety belt attached to a firmly secured lanyard will be worn. 
While working at heights, workers must wear a safety belt complete with shoulder straps at all times. 
Do not anchor the lanyard to the same girt or railing as the drill pipe snubbing line. 
Never remove the safety belt or lanyard to reach above or beyond its extension, or to climb the girts to reach up high, or correct a snag 
Take a few minutes to adjust the lanyard to provide this vital safeguard. 
When tools are required, they will be secured to the person to prevent them from falling. 
The floor area must be cleared of other workers when a job requiring hand tool is being performed above. No person may perform work within 7m of an overhead power line if the voltage is unknown Personnel must notify the operator of an energized overhead power line before work is done or equipment is operated in the vicinity of the power line at distances less than the safe limit of approach distances listed in Schedule 4 of the Alberta OHS Code, and obtain the operator’s assistance in protecting workers involved. Workers must assess the work area before conducting any work, make note of any hazards and have them dealt with prior to carrying out tasks. If the work area is surrounded by guard rails, that is sufficient fall restraint and a fall arrest system is not necessary (top of the Doghouse, Pump House, etc.) If the work area has a travelling line, a fall restraint harness must be worn and connected to the travelling line with an approved fall dampening lanyard. The lanyard and harness must be long enough to allow free movement of the worker, but not extend to the edge of the structure to eliminate the potential of a fall resulting in mid‐air suspension. In the instance where a worker is in a position where a fall resulting in mid‐air suspension can result, a spotter must be present throughout the entire task. 
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Revised: April 13, 2015
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In the event a worker falls and becomes suspended, the spotter must alert the Driller and the Site Medic immediately. The Site Medic MUST be present during rescue operations. If there is no Medic on site, the Site Supervisor must be present and ready to call 911 in the event the suspended worker is rendered unconscious. The spotter will then have the Winch line run to the suspended worker. If the worker is conscious, they will be able to attach the winch line to an alternate D‐ring on their harness and communicate when they are able to be lowered. If the worker is unconscious, a ladder can be used to reach the worker and the Winch line can be attached to an alternate D‐Ring and lowered. If the spotter does not have a direct line of sight to the Driller, another spotter must be used to convey communication from the primary spotter to the Driller. Any worker that falls and is suspended must be treated for Suspension Trauma, regardless of the time spent in suspension. A worker that is suspended for 3‐5 minutes can succumb to Orthostatic Incompetence, where the blood pools in the legs and deprives the heart and brain of blood and oxygen, causing fainting and unconsciousness. Treatment of Suspension Trauma and Orthostatic Incompetence will involve having the affected worker moving their legs while suspended if they are conscious. Once on the ground DO NOT REMOVE THE HARNESS ‐ they must be in a sitting position for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes the worker can stand slowly and remove the harness. Workers suspended for long durations can develop blood pooling in the legs which, if released suddenly by standing up, can burst the blood vessels in the legs and cause torn aorta in the heart. NEVER allow the victim to lay flat If the worker is rendered unconscious at any point, the Site Medic must step in. If there is no Medic on site, 911 must be called. Any victim suspended for Ten (10) minutes MUST go to the hospital.