Ontario Ministry of Labour begins summer safety blitz, focusing on fall prevention

The Ontario Ministry of Labour (MoL) has begun its summer safety blitz – meaning that you might be seeing one of their inspectors on your job site.

In my opinion, it’s about time there was another blitz like this. I see  unsafe work practices daily, here in the Toronto area. And there have been two recent fall deaths on two different job sites in the GTA.

Maybe you’ve been in business for years and have never had the pleasure of a visit from the MoL. If this is true for you, then maybe a little complacency has set in. Remember, there is always a first time for everything, including the pleasure of having someone visit your site with a camera and the power to fine you heavily or even shut your job site down.

Your visit could come as a random drive-by by an MoL vehicle. Or, more commonly, a neighbour will put in a phone call, complaining about noise and dust from your job site. Or maybe your vehicles – or your trades’ vehicles – are creating parking issues. Or maybe there are no good reasons whatsoever for someone to set the MoL on you – except they are bored!

The worst visit from the MoL is the visit that comes after someone (anyone) sustains an injury on your site. This visit could be triggered by something as minor as a broken ankle… it doesn’t have to be a major injury or a fatality. When this type of inspection occurs, the inspectors are there not only to investigate but ultimately to find fault and prosecute all those found in violation of the province’s Occupational Health & Safety Act.

How about that supervisor in Toronto last December, who drove one of his workers, who had serious injuries, to the hospital – where that worker later died. The supervisor was found guilty of lying to MoL investigators about the circumstances of the injury and he was sentenced to two weeks in a Toronto jail.

This upcoming safety blitz by the MoL is something you need to take seriously, even if you are a renovator with a modest, inconspicuous work site. The MoL isn’t just going after the big, commercial builders. Last summer, 37% of orders issued by MoL inspectors during the safety blitz were issued at single family residences.  This summer’s blitz will focus on Fall Prevention.

This blitz will focus on: Policies and procedures (read little black box), ladder and platform use, supervision, use of fall protection systems and personal safety devices, openings in floors and work surfaces, guardrail use, and more.

This past week I observed – and brought to the culprit’s attention – a worker without a body harness in a fall-risk situation on a moving platform. I said to him that he should be tied down by using a body harness. There was no harness in sight and his older, maturer co-worker made a joke of it. And earlier today, I saw three separate roofing crews operating with zero fall arrest equipment in a residential subdivision.

Sometimes I wish I had the power of the light blue hard hat that Mol inspectors wear when they engage in safety regulation enforcement. And although many contractors resent or even disrespect safety enforcement authorities, these guys at the M0L have tough jobs, too.  Tough as in: Having to visit a job site after a death and view a body that has been crushed, twisted, distorted or blooded. And it could be someone you know: maybe a spouse, a son/daughter, maybe even you. You expect to go home tonight, do you not? You could take a 20 foot plunge this afternoon and never go home again.

The “culture of silence” that creates seriously risky safety situations has to be broken. So speak up every time you see something wrong on a job site. Maybe someone, someday, will speak up to you and save your life (unknowingly) that day. Let’s all speak up and save lives.

By providing education and training, CARAHS reduces your risk of fines, job site closures and prosecution under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Passion – Commitment – CARAHS – Toll free 1 866-366 2930

CARAHS has over 130 online Health & Safety e-courses

http://www.carahs.org/?page_id=596