Worker without fall protection fell from roof
Date of incident: July 2015
Notice of incident number: 2015175370030
Employers: Construction companies (2)
Incident summary
Two workers from a construction firm that another construction firm had subcontracted
were conducting roof repairs and maintenance on the roof of a townhouse complex. One
of them lost his footing and fell approximately 30 feet to the grass below. The worker
sustained serious injuries.
Investigation conclusions
Cause
- Worker without fall protection fell from roof: The injured worker was not using a fall protection system while working on the roof of a townhouse complex when he lost his footing and fell to the ground. He sustained serious injuries.
Underlying factors
- Inadequate training: Neither of the two workers who had been on the roof was provided with training in fall protection. No fall protection plan was developed. Neither worker was provided training on how to operate the boom lift they were using.
- Inadequate supervision: The employers did not supervise the workers while they were doing roof repairs at the worksite. Neither observed the work processes to ensure that the workers were working safely at height.
- Inadequate planning of work activities: Neither employer planned the work activities to ensure the health and safety of the workers. It was not possible to conduct all of the work on the roof while workers remained in the work platform of the lift as had been anticipated, and no work plan was developed to safely complete the work. The limitations of the lift in providing safe access to conduct the roof work would have been recognized if proper planning of the work had been undertaken.
- No fall protection plan: There was no documented fall protection plan developed for the worksite despite work being conducted at heights in excess of 25 feet where there was a risk of falling.
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