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Regulation Review Part 30

Workers in Manitoba have legislated regulations to help keep us safe, day in and day out – no matter what job we do. These regulations are a part of the framework for building safe workplaces in Manitoba.

The Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and associated regulations are in place to protect you – the worker – from workplace hazards and the risks they present. Manitoba Regulation 217/2006 is a 44-part document containing requirements and guidelines for workplaces, including site-specific rules and other valuable information to prevent harm from coming to workers.

Safety Check is profiling one part of the Regulation in each issue to help remind you of the Regulation’s specifics and to help keep safety top-of-mind for all Manitobans.

This issue, it’s Regulation Part 30: Temporary Structures.

Regulation Part 30 applies to every workplace where temporary structures are constructed or used. It states SAFE work procedures must be developed, implemented and workers trained.

To comply with the Regulation, any temporary or unfinished structure (including masonry walls) must be adequately braced or supported to withstand any load including wind and wind gusts. Any temporary support structure cannot be removed until the structure is permanently stabilized.

A permanent or temporary floor must be provided when workers are required to pass beneath the work area of a skeleton frame building of more than one storey.

Temporary floors must extend over the entire work area except for necessary openings that must be protected by guardrails, be designed to safely support any loads and be securely fastened to structural numbers.

Temporary plank floors must be structurally sound, at least 50mm thick, securely fastened to the frame and laid close together to form a solid floor. Openings that cannot be protected with guardrails must be covered with securely fastened planks or other materials able to support loads.

Temporary stairs and landings must be designed and constructed to support any load that may be imposed on them. Temporary stairs must have:

•    A uniform rise and treads similar in width, length and height
•    A slope not exceeding 50 degrees from the horizontal
•    A vertical distance of no more than 4m between landings or floors
•    Securely fastened handrails on open sides including landings
•    A minimum width of 750mm except where temporary stairs are prefabricated steel scaffold stairs or space restrictions require narrower stairs

Steels stairs designed to have concrete fill must have temporary wooden tread fillers which extend the full width and length of treads and landings secured in place.

Temporary runways, ramps and platforms must be designed and constructed to support any load likely to be imposed on them, be a minimum 600mm wide and securely fastened and supported to prevent horizontal or lateral movement.

The slope of ramps cannot be greater than 1 vertical to 3 horizontal. Where greater than 1 vertical to 8 horizontal, cross cleats constructed of 25mm X 50mm nominal wood strips must be provided at regular intervals (not greater than 450mm apart) and must be kept clear of snow, ice and mud.

For more information and a full description of the Regulation, read it in its entirety.