News You Can Use: BC Company Fined for Fall Protection Shortcomings

Permitting its workers to carry heavy loads up ladders and work well above ground without proper fall protection has cost a Vancouver construction company about $72,225.

WorkSafeBC issued the penalty to Femo Construction Ltd. after a wo

rker was observed climbing across formwork six meters (20 feet) above grade to install metal bolts that were about a meter long and each weighed 13 to 18 kilograms (30 to 40 pounds).

Another worker was observed climbing a ladder while carrying the heavy bolts to access the formwork.

“The firm failed to provide these workers with a suitable work platform,” says WorkSafeBC, adding that the company also allowed its workers to work on a scaffold that lacked required guardrails and failed to ensure that the lanyards in their fall protection equipment met required safety standards.

“These were repeat violations of the scaffold and safe access requirements, as well as of the requirements for fall protection equipment,” says WorkSafeBC.

SafetyTalk: Don’t Let Your Safety Slip Away

Learn more about fall protection requirements and prevent falls through with this resources on SafetySmart’s sister site, OHSInsider.com: How to Prevent Falls Through Openings