As construction activity ramps up across the province, WorkSafeBC is calling on employers and workers to address one of the industry鈥檚 most persistent dangers鈥攆alls from heights.
In 2024, more than 1,000 construction workers were injured after falling from heights, and over the past five years, more than 5,400 claims have been accepted by WorkSafeBC related to falls in the construction sector, including nearly 1,900 serious injuries and 35 fatalities.
鈥淔alls from elevation can happen from a roof or scaffold to a ladder or truck bed鈥攐ften due to inadequate protection, not following safe work procedures or hazardous conditions,鈥� said Barry Nakahara, director of prevention field services at WorkSafeBC. 鈥淏ut these incidents are largely preventable with proper planning, supervision, training, and consistent use of fall protection.鈥�
The financial consequences for employers are significant as well. In 2024, WorkSafeBC issued 152 penalties related to inadequate fall protection, amounting to over $1 million in fines.
In 琉璃神社, JV Roofing Limited was fined $20,000 following an inspection on March 18 this year. The company was installing a torch-on roofing membrane on a two-storey house without any guardrails or fall protection roof anchors. Ladders used for access were unsecured, and workers had not been properly instructed in the fall protection system. The violations were classified as high-risk and repeat offences.
In Osoyoos, 3K Construction & Framing Inc. received a penalty of $5,970 after a March 4 inspection found six workers on a third-storey roof with no fall protection in place. The workers were exposed to a fall risk of at least nine metres (30 feet), and the violation was again categorized as high-risk and repeated.
WorkSafeBC regulations require fall protection systems when a worker is at risk of falling three metres or more, or at any height where injury is possible.
To address the issue, WorkSafeBC is conducting proactive, unannounced inspections across construction sites in B.C. this spring, focusing on fall hazards and employer safety practices.
鈥淪afety takes just minutes鈥攑eace of mind lasts a lifetime,鈥� a WorkSafeBC media release states. 鈥淎ll workers need to take the time to be protected and go home safe every day.鈥�
April is Construction Month in B.C.