In Canada, falls continue to be the number one leading cause of fatalities in the Construction industry and here is a brief glimpse as to why, this is something we have all heard before:
“Complete the project on time, there is zero opportunity for waste and delays. Complete the project on budget, oh and by the way there is a limited amount of money and resources.”
“Let’s do the job safely and don’t harm anyone, because, well, that just wouldn’t be good for business.”
Construction projects related to the Olympics often have a high number of workplace accidents, including serious accidents up to and including fatality. Many of these fatalities were from falls from height. This has been partially due to the pressure to complete the projects by the games' strict deadlines, which can lead to safety being compromised.
That being said, the London Summer Olympic Games project was a great example of a well-executed safety system as they had 0 fatalities over a 4-year project. Compare this to Beijing which had 10 fatalities, and Greece, 14. (Source: A Lesson from the London Olympics). The lesson here is that fatalities can be prevented, even when the project is complex and high-risk with many activities taking place at height.
Here are three things to consider when working at heights:
Establish training and competency – Ensure your workers and supervisors are trained properly. In many cases in this industry, you get what you pay for, the lowest dollar cost is not the best way to go. (I know, tell that to the employer).
The WHSCC in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Standards and Training Development in Ontario have standards for approving training providers. These approving bodies have seen a lot of poor instruction. Do your research on your provider, check references and get some testimonials to ensure you are getting what you pay for.
Create a plan – As Dr. Stephen Covey wrote, “Begin with the end in mind”! It’s difficult to achieve a high level of safety without an adequate plan. Some Provinces have specific requirements for creating a fall protection plan or safe work procedures when working at heights (Alberta, B.C., Manitoba).
Prior to working at heights, a plan should be created to ensure the hazards have been clearly identified and the correct fall protection system is in use. Focus on whether the work must be done at height. This may be somewhat limited, but you should always determine if the work can be done from the ground first, if it cannot, then you need to determine the best form of protection.
If it has been determined that you must work at height, follow the proper hierarchy when determining control methods.
For example, if the fall can’t be eliminated, can we implement a temporary or permanent guardrail system as it is the primary method for preventing falls. If a guardrail isn't feasible, can we use a travel restraint system that protects the worker from getting to the open unguarded area?
Fall arrest should always be a final option. If fall arrest is used, a written plan should identify suitable anchorage points, fall distances, fall protection and rescue equipment. Good Pre-planning will ensure that users have the correct fall protection equipment for the task.
It’s important to go through this process, as the implementation of a guardrail could eliminate the need for active fall protection systems like a lanyard and harness.
Implement and monitor the plan – So many fall fatalities involve workers who were wearing a harness but failed to tie-off while performing the work, or they weren’t tied- off to begin with. Let’s not put the cart before the horse here, but why would you ever don a harness and not tie-off?
If we focus on implementing number 2, and we have implemented the plan correctly and a competent person oversees the plan, falls should not happen. Monitoring and oversight continues to be a gap in many organizations and the term competent is not always used synonymously with the term supervisor.
Planning is a large part of safety and time must be dedicated to it. Workers that are not following the plan or those that fail to wear and use personal protective devices as outlined must be dealt with accordingly so that this at-risk behaviour can be curbed before it leads to unintended consequences.
If workers are trained to use fall protection devices, understand the safety expectations, and they are supported, they have the best opportunity to make good safety decisions. When plans are created, make sure they are implemented and monitored. This helps to ensure we all go home in one piece at the end of the day.
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