August 19, 2009

Occupational health & safety

Alberta highrise inspections uncover infractions

RICHARD GILBERT

staff writer

Provincial safety inspections of highrise construction sites in Calgary and Edmonton have uncovered a total of 15 safety violations.

The inspections were ordered after a young girl was killed recently by a falling bundle of sheet metal in Calgary.

“Calgary had four compliance orders for securing of material and equipment, two for hazard assessment, one for fall protection, one for lighting and one for housekeeping,” said Chris Chodan, spokesperson for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).

“We are not going into the specifics of any site because employers have 30 days to appeal any orders that were written.”

Chodan said another reason for not releasing specifics is that the safety authority is required to send reports to the information privacy office, to secure anything of a personal nature.

“Basically the orders are to make sure equipment and materials can’t fall off site, whether the object falls off a vehicle or a building,” said Chodan

There were six orders in Edmonton for securing of materials and equipment, adequate lights, guard rails, toe boards, equipment guards and construction of a portable ladder.

“They have actually fixed things for now and taken action,” said Chodan.

“But, even if they take action, they may say it wasn’t warranted or object to the way they were treated. If they think we got it wrong or if they object to anything, an order can be appealed.”

When an order is appealed it goes to the occupational health and safety council.

They maintain that releasing details, such as names, might influence the outcome of those proceedings.

The provincial inspection was ordered after a bundle of sheet metal was blown off the top of the Le Germain development and killed Michelle Krsek, 3, on Aug. 1.

The bundle weighed about 500 lbs and fell from 22 storeys during a wind storm.

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