Companies must pay fines totalling nearly $16,000
WorkSafeBC has fined four more employers in British Columbia for fall protection violations in the workplace.
Big Guns Roofing Ltd. was fined $5,884.49 for violations it committed while it was roofing a new three-storey apartment building in Chilliwack.
WorkSafeBC observed one worker on a 5:12 sloped section of the roof. The worker was wearing a fall protection harness but was not connected to a lifeline. No other form of fall protection was in place. The situation exposed the worker to a fall risk of about 10.4 m (34 ft.)
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“The firm failed to ensure fall protection was used, a repeated and high-risk violation,” according to WorkSafeBC.
R & M Gill Enterprise Ltd. was also fined $5,000.00.
The firm was roofing a new three-storey house in Squamish. When WorkSafeBC inspected the site, it found that two workers on the 4:12 sloped roof. No compliant form of fall protection was in place, exposing the workers to a fall risk of about 9.1 m (30 ft.)
“The firm failed to ensure fall protection was used, a high-risk violation, and failed to have a written fall protection plan in place. The firm also failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety. These were all repeated violations,” said WorkSafeBC.
G & M Royal Construction Ltd. was also fined $2,500.00 for violations it committed while working on a new house construction in Surrey.
Three workers, one of whom was a representative of the firm, were conducting framing activities on the roof when WorkSafeBC inspected the worksite. It found that no form of fall protection was in place, exposing the workers to a fall risk of up to 6.9 m (22.5 ft.).
“The firm failed to ensure fall protection was used, and failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety. These were both repeated and high-risk violations,” according to the agency.
Lastly, Greyledge Custom Homes Inc. must pay $2,500.00 after WorkSafeBC inspected its construction worksite in Naramata.
The agency found two workers were on a job-built scaffold. No guardrails were installed on the scaffold and no other form of fall protection was in place, exposing the workers to a fall risk of about 4 m (13 ft.). A third worker was on an elevating boom lift without a fall arrest system.
WorkSafeBC also issued a stop-use order for the boom lift, this after determining that it had not been inspected and certified annually as required.
The firm failed to ensure fall protection was used, and failed to ensure a person on an elevating work platform wore a personal fall arrest system secured to a suitable anchorage point, according to WorkSafeBC. The firm also failed to ensure the health and safety of all workers at its worksite. These were all repeated and high-risk violations.
Previously, Rai Star Custom Homes Ltd., Lalli Development (2011) Ltd., 0568677 British Columbia Ltd., Kalan Constructions Ltd. and Rainbow Siding Ltd. were also fined for fall protection violations in the workplace.
