CHAPTER 35 WATER AND ICE

35 WATER AND ICE • Workers on floating platforms must wear lifejackets.

A lifejacket provides enough buoyancy to keep the
wearer’s head above water, face up, without effort
Working over and around water and ice presents
by the wearer.
special dangers. Precautions specifically developed for
such construction must be taken before work begins. • Appropriate rescue measures must be prepared.
This chapter outlines general safeguards that must In addition, the positioning and securing of vessels
be followed whenever personnel are required to used as work platforms should be supervised and
work over water or on ice, including construction on undertaken by experienced personnel.
bridges, wharves, dams, locks, and breakwaters.

Guardrails
The requirements for guardrails specified in this
manual and in Section 26 of the Construction
Projects regulation (213/91) apply to work stations
over water or ice.

Ramps
Ramps must be
-- at least 46 centimetres (18 inches) wide Rescue Boat

-- not sloped more than 1 in 3 (20 degrees) and Figure 35-2: Floating Work Platforms
-- where slope exceeds 1 in 8 (6 degrees), have
cleats 19 x 38 millimetres (1 inch by 2 inches) Fall Arrest Systems
secured at regular intervals not more than 50
centimetres (20 inches) apart. The requirements specified in the chapters on
“Guardrails” and “Personal Fall Protection” also
When a ramp is used for equipment such as apply to work over water or ice.
wheelbarrows and a worker may fall from the ramp
a distance of 1.2 metres (4 feet) or more—or may
fall any distance into water—the ramp must be Safety Nets
provided with guardrails (Figure 35-1). Safety nets may be necessary when structural
design, loading access, worker mobility, or other
factors make guardrails and fall arrest systems
impractical (Figure 35-3).

3
Maximum Ramp Slope
Figure 35-3: Safety Nets

Figure 35-1: Ramp with Guardrails Safety nets must be

• Designed, tested, and installed in accordance
with ANSI/ASSE Standard A10.11-2010: Safety
Floating Work Platforms Requirements for Personnel and Debris Nets
When used on a construction project, rafts, scows, • Installed by a competent worker
and similar vessels are considered work platforms
• Inspected and tested by a professional engineer
(Figure 35-2). As such, they are subject to certain
or competent person under the engineer’s
requirements. supervision before the net is put into service.
• Guardrails must be provided along open edges. The engineer must document the inspection and
The guardrails may be removed at the working testing of the safety net and sign and seal the
side of the platform, provided workers are document. A copy of the document must be kept
protected by alternate measures of fall protection. at the project while the safety net is in service.

Hazards 35-1
WATER AND ICE

Lifejackets and PFDs Transporting Workers by Boat

A lifejacket is a type of PFD that provides enough When navigating any Canadian waterway, boats
buoyancy to keep the wearer’s head above water, and other floating vessels must comply with the
face up, without effort by the wearer. It’s the best requirements of the Canada Shipping Act. Refer
option for flotation and it protects against cold- specifically to the Small Vessel Regulations and
water shock. Other PFDs are designed for constant Collision Regulations under the Act.
wear. They are lighter and more comfortable, but
they provide less buoyancy and thermal protection. Commonly, boats used for construction operations
are not longer than 6 metres (19’8”). Boats in this
Lifejackets must be worn by workers exposed to class must be equipped with at least the following:
the danger of drowning in water deep enough for
the lifejacket to be effective. Workers must wear • One approved lifejacket for each person on board
an approved* lifejacket when travelling on water or • One paddle or an anchor with at least 15m of
while at a project over or adjacent to water. cable, rope, or chain
For boating to and from the worksite, boats must • One bailer or one manual pump
be equipped with one approved lifejacket for each
person on board. • One Class 5BC fire extinguisher if the craft has an
in-board engine, fixed fuel tank, or fuel-burning
*Approved by Transport Canada (look for the TC label). appliance
• One sound signalling device
Rescue
• A reboarding device if the vertical height is not
Where personnel are exposed to the risk of drowning,
more than 0.5 metres
at least two workers trained to perform rescue
operations must be available for a rescue operation. A • A watertight flashlight or three pyrotechnic
seaworthy boat must also be available and furnished distress signals
with the following rescue equipment (minimum):
• A buoyant heaving line not less than 15 metres
-- A life buoy attached to a buoyant heaving line
not less than 15 metres in length and a boat hook • A magnetic compass
-- An alarm system capable of warning a worker of All powerboats require some navigation lights
the necessity of carrying out a rescue operation if operated after sunset or before sunrise. For
-- A boat hook appropriate regulations, consult the Safe Boating
-- Lifejackets for each person in the rescue crew. Guide published by the Canadian Coast Guard, or
Where a manually-operated boat is not suitable the Canada Shipping Act – Small Vessel Regulations
or where the water is likely to be rough or swift, and applicable standards set out in the Collision
the rescue boat must be power-driven. The engine Regulations under the Act.
should be started and checked daily.
Rescue equipment such as boats must be stored on Ice Testing
or near the project, ready for use.
Work, travel, and parking on frozen bodies of water
Where there is a current in the water, a single length of should be avoided whenever possible and be done
line must be extended across the water downstream only as a last resort. The ice must be tested before
from all work locations and be fitted with buoys or any workers or vehicles are allowed onto the
similar floating objects that are capable of providing surface. Loads that may safely travel on ice may
support for a person in the water. The line must be not necessarily be left on ice for extended periods
securely fastened to adequate anchorage at each end. of time. This applies especially to parked vehicles.
An alarm system must be installed and maintained to Before testing, learn as much as possible about ice
alert workers of the need for an emergency rescue. conditions from local residents. Testing requires at
All of these requirements are illustrated in Figure 35-4. least two persons on foot proceeding with caution.
Each person must wear an approved lifejacket or,
preferably, an approved floatable survival suit that
protects against hypothermia.
For ice testing, a survival suit or lifejacket is
required because a person falling into frigid water
may lose consciousness and the suit or lifejacket
will keep the person’s face out of the water.
Members of the ice-testing crew should stay about
10 metres (30 feet) apart. The lead member must
wear a safety harness attached to a polypropylene
rescue rope 9.5 millimetres (3/8 inch) thick, at least
20 metres (65 feet) long, and held by the trailing
crew member (Figure 35-5).
Figure 35-4: Requirements for Rescue Operations

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 WATER AND ICE

For repeated work or travel over ice, the surface

must be tested regularly to ensure continued
safety. Ice must also be tested regularly near
currents or eddies and around permanent
structures like abutments.

Bearing Capacity of Ice

Where heavy equipment such as cranes or
structures such as concrete forms are to be placed
on ice for extended periods, ask an experienced
consultant for advice on bearing capacity, load
Figure 35-5: Ice Testing methods, and inspection procedures. With
professional advice it is possible to increase
Clear blue ice is the most desirable for strength. bearing capacity considerably. But careful control
White or opaque ice forms from wet snow and has is required over surface operations, loading
a higher air content. It is less dense and therefore procedures, and ice monitoring.
weaker than clear blue ice. Grey ice indicates the In other cases, refer to the graph for allowable
presence of water from thawing and should not be moving loads on various thicknesses of clear blue
trusted as a load-bearing surface. ice. Remember: the graph is not to be used for
The lead crew member should cut test holes loads parked, stored, or otherwise left stationary
every 8 metres (25 feet) or so. If ice is less than 10 for long periods of time.
centimetres (4 inches) thick, the lead and trailing Certain types of cracking can affect the bearing
crew members should vacate the area immediately. capacity of ice. For a single dry crack wider than
The biggest uncertainty about the load-bearing 2.5 centimetres (1 inch), reduce loads by one third;
capacity of ice is the natural variation in thickness for intersecting cracks of this size, reduce loads by
and quality that can occur over a given area. two thirds. Dry cracks can be repaired by filling in
Currents and springs can cause variations in with water or slush.
thickness without changing the overall surface A wet crack indicates penetration through the
appearance of the ice. Considerable variation in ice ice to water below. Bearing capacity can be
thickness can occur where rivers have significant dangerously lowered. For a single wet crack,
currents or high banks. Similar situations occur in reduce loads by three quarters. Most wet cracks
lakes at the inlet and outlet of rivers. refreeze as strong as the original ice. A core sample
Only the thickness of continuously frozen ice should should be taken to determine the depth of healing.
be used to determine bearing capacity. The basis for
capacity should be the minimum thickness measured.
Other Considerations
In addition to testing for thickness, crews should
• Ice roads must be at least 40 centimetres (16
check ice for cracking.
inches) thick along their entire length and should
Ice thickness (Figure 35-6) is determined by the full be clearly marked.
thickness of clear blue ice plus half the thickness of any
• Ice roads should not be built up more than 10
white, continuously frozen ice (source: Safety Guide for
centimetres (4 inches) in one day and must
Operations Over Ice, Treasury Board of Canada).
not be used or reflooded until the top layer has
completely frozen.
• While an ice road is in use it must be checked
daily for thickness, cracks, thawing, and other
conditions.
• All rescue equipment listed earlier in this chapter
must be readily available.
• A life ring attached to 20 metres (65 feet) of
polypropylene rescue rope 9.5 millimetres (3/8
inch) thick must be kept within 35 metres (115
feet) of the work area.
• A warm place such as a truck cab or hut must be
provided and made known to personnel near the
worksite.
For more information on the bearing capacity of
Figure 35-6: Determining Ice Thickness ice, see Safety Guide for Operations Over Ice, by
the Treasury Board of Canada.

Hazards 35-3
WATER AND ICE

Table 35-1: Recommended Bearing Capacity The following considerations must be taken into
Based on Experience — Moving Loads Only account:
• Load duration – The period of time that the load
will be stationary on the ice cover
THICKNESS OF GOOD QUALITY FRESH WATER ICE, cm.
• Ice cover type – Whether it’s freshwater lake ice,
river ice, local flood ice, transported flood ice, or
peatland ice
• Load weights – The number and types of vehicles

LOAD, metric tonnes

and equipment and their maximum gross vehicle
LOAD, tons

weights (GVWs). Note: This may also include

loads from foot traffic for special types of work.
• Schedule and operating window – Timing of the
start of construction and start of work on the ice
cover as well as the operating window required
for the work
• Employer capability – Employer experience,
equipment availability, and worker training
• Hazard controls – Controls that reduce either the
consequence and/ or the likelihood of a hazard.
THICKNESS OF GOOD QUALITY FRESH WATER ICE, inches Choice of controls depends on the risk level,
degree of operator control over the use of the
The allowable load should be reduced by one cover, and the user’s exposure.
half for operations on white opaque ice.
• Route selection constraints – Site access,
Courtesy Treasury Board of Canada
hydrology, and site permits.

Ice Thickness vs. Ice Strength IHSA has developed Best Practices for Building and
Working Safely on Ice Covers in Ontario (IHSA029).
Table 35-2 provides the safe load for a given ice This guide provides a summary of current practices
thickness of for construction and operation of transportation
• Fresh ice (lake and river ice) and roadways and working platforms that rely on
floating ice. It covers the basic steps for planning,
• Sea ice (St. Lawrence River, Gulf of St. Lawrence, etc.) design, construction, operation, and closure of an
over-ice project while ensuring that a standard
Table 35-2: Safe Load Based on Ice Thickness of care necessary to protect worker safety is the
SAFE LOAD OPERATION FRESH ICE SEA ICE highest priority.
One person at rest 8 cm 13 cm This best practice guide is available to download
for free from our website (www.ihsa.ca). It is also
0.4 ton moving slowly 10 cm 18 cm
available in French (IHSA029F).
10-ton tracked
moving slowly 43 cm 66 cm
vehicle
13-ton aircraft parked 61 cm 102 cm

Table provided by the National Research Council of Canada.

Building and Working Safely on Ice

Covers
Before working, travelling, and parking on the frozen
surface of ponds, lakes, and rivers, you should
recognize and address the hazards associated with
this activity and take precautions to ensure that the
ice cover can safely support the load.
Planning for operations over floating ice covers
requires a clear understanding of how the ice sheet
must function to ensure a successful and safe
project. This is especially important for constructors
or employers who have no previous experience
building ice covers.

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