Best Practice - Temporary Stairs to the Basement on Construction Sites
The following sections have been amended:
75. (1) No work shall be performed in a building or structure unless stairs are installed in accordance with this section. O. Reg. 213/91, s. 75 (1).
(2) As the construction of a building or structure progresses, permanent or temporary stairs shall be installed from the lowest level, including the basement, up to. (See: O.Reg. 327/19, s. 1 (2))
- (a) the uppermost work level; or
- (b) if stairs would interfere with work on the uppermost work level, no more than two storeys or nine metres below the uppermost work level, whichever distance is shorter. O. Reg. 213/91, s. 75 (2); O. Reg. 142/17, s. 13.
(3) Subsection (2) does not apply with respect to,
- (a) a part of a building or structure in which only the structural steel beams or columns are erected;
- (b) a structure to which a permanent ladder is attached before the structure is raised into position. O. Reg. 213/91, s. 75 (3); or (See: O. Reg. 327/19, s. 1 (3))
- (c) a part of a building or structure in which formwork or falsework is erected to a suspended slab.
These Amendments will reduce the exposure to injury from ladder use and will provide more efficient access and egress for all the trades entering basements, and best of all will facilitate for improved emergency response!
On behalf of The Ontario Concrete & Drain Contractors Association, and our Member Companies that employee a Unionized Workforce, we would like to thank the Ministry of Labour, Training & Skills Development for recognizing the importance of creating safer work environments by legislatively implementing Temporary stairs to the Basements of construction sites as of January 1st, 2020!