With the warm weather finally here, construction projects are ramping up. To ensure worker safety, WorkSafeNB has stepped up inspections to commercial and residential sites.
So far this year, WorkSafeNB has issued 37 orders to 23 employers to protect workers. Employers must ensure that workers are trained in the proper use and maintenance of fall protection systems.
Already this year, falls have resulted in serious injuries to several New Brunswick workers. Luckily, none of these falls were fatal. “It’s disturbing that we continue to see so many employers and workers continuing to work without fall protection”, said Richard Blais, director of Compliance and Regulatory Review. “A fall from even low heights can kill or cause serious injury,” Blais said.
To prevent injuries from falls, WorkSafeNB reminds employers and supervisors to provide fall protection to employees who are required to carry out work at heights, and to ensure that employees use it. “We urge employers and their workers to first ensure the use of a guardrail or travel restraint and if the first two options are not possible, fall-arrest when working from heights,” he said.
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