Blitz finds fall hazards at majority of sites

May 14, 2010 – A recent inspection blitz has found fall hazards at 63 per cent of the more than 3,900 construction sites the inspectors visited across the province.

The 90-day inspection campaign was started in January following an incident on December 24, 2009. Four men died after their scaffolding snapped in half and they fell 13 storeys at a Toronto job site.

Following the results of the inspection campaign, the Building and Construction Trades Council of Ontario is now calling for increased action to make construction sites safer. More than half of the violations discovered were for missing or improper use or maintenance of guard rails, scaffolds and fall protection systems.

Patrick Dillon of the trades council says the results show "more rigorous action needs to be taken" to eliminate fall hazards. Dillon also says fall-related deaths and injuries are "totally preventable."

He says the Ministry of Labour needs more inspectors to visit all construction sites on a regular basis, in order to ensure compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.