Date of incident: August 2022
Notice of incident number: 2022194000014
Employer: Siding and insulation installation company

Incident summary
A worker was operating the controls of an aerial work platform (AWP) from its raised basket while it was on a flatbed truck. While the worker was operating the AWP in reverse, it fell approximately 1.3 m off the back of the truck onto the roadway. During the fall, the basket of the AWP struck the top of a lamppost and the worker was thrown from the basket. He sustained fatal injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Worker without fall protection system fell from height. The worker was operating the controls of the AWP from the raised basket while the AWP was on the flatbed truck. He was driving the AWP in reverse when it fell off the back of the truck. The worker was not wearing any fall protection equipment.

Contributing factors

• Inadequate supervision. Although the employer has an occupational health and safety (OHS) program that specifies that supervisors must be trained in various skills and tasks, no training records were provided for the worker’s supervisor. The OHS program also requires supervisors to do pre-job planning and analysis, but there is no indication they were done on the day of the incident. Lack of supervision of a worker who was inexperienced in the task he was performing was a significant factor in the incident.
• Inadequate training and orientation. The employer provided limited training material to the worker, and no orientation documentation was provided. The employer did not demonstrate that the worker received adequate training on the task of unloading an AWP off a flatbed truck or on the safe work procedures (SWPs). The supervisor was also not provided with adequate training as required by the OHS program, and the employer was unable to produce any evidence or documentation showing that the supervisor received training on his roles and responsibilities.
• Lack of hazard identification and risk assessment. The employer did not provide any records of a hazard identification or risk assessment pertaining to unloading AWPs off flatbed trucks. Additionally, no hazard identification or risk assessment was provided in relation to the office where the incident occurred. The employer did not show that it had assessed or communicated the hazards and risks related to the task the worker was doing.
• Lack of effective safe work procedures. No documented SWPs for unloading an AWP off a flatbed truck existed prior to the incident. The OHS program did contain SWPs on AWP use and operation, which included requirements to have an operator and spotter in place when moving an AWP and for fall protection to be worn while operating an AWP. The employer did not ensure the worker was following the SWP in place for operating an AWP, as evidenced by the fact that the worker was not wearing fall protection at the time of the incident and no spotter was present.

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