Warning Line: What Standards to Comply with?

Even if the preferred collective protection method against falls is the guardrail, the warning line can be used for certain specific jobs. To effectively prevent the risk of falling from a roof during certain jobs, a permanent warning line is – indeed – the ideal element. Easy to install, it lets you mark off a safety perimeter on any type of roof.

The risk of falling

Installing a warning line on a roof is essential when there is a risk of falling from more than 3 metres. In any working environment on a roof, falls from heights are common and must therefore be anticipated with preventive measures. A fall from more than 3 metres can have particularly serious consequences for workers.

The legal standards to comply with

In all cases, there are legal standards to comply with to protect workers from the risk of falling. These are governed by the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST). The standards that concern warning lines are as follows:

Warning lines are a collective protection method against falls at the top of any building, escarpment, or trench whose depth is more than 3 m or which might constitute a hazard to workers or the public in general.

If a guardrail impedes the execution of the work, it can be temporarily replaced with a warning line where it obstructs the work. This exception does not, however, mean that the guardrail can be completely replaced with the warning line.
A warning line must be made of a rigid strip, cable, or chain equipped with flags made of high-visibility materials.
It must be attached to each stanchion so that pushing on the line between 2 stanchions does not reduce the height of the line between adjacent stanchions by an equivalent amount.
It must be continuous and installed on all sides of the work area that it delimits.
When there is an opening in the warning line (access point, storage area, hoisting area), it must have an access path formed by two parallel lines.
When the path to a point of access to a work area is located at a distance of more than 5 m from it, the warning line does not have to be continued beyond that distance, such as for jobs on a large roof.
In places where the access path starts at a roof edge, a guardrail must be installed on the side of the roof so as to cover the first 3 metres on either side of the access path’s starting point (section 2.9.2 of the SCCI).

The Delta Prévention permanent warning line

The 50-lb. recycled rubber base ensures that the stanchions remain firmly in place, while the cables and high-visibility flags provide all-season safety. Forget rust and tipped-over stanchions — the Delta Prévention permanent warning line is built to last, and it complies with CNESST standards. It’s also 100% compatible with Delta Prévention’s self-supporting guardrail system. You can therefore combine the two systems to maximize safety on your roof.