Infrastructure Health and Safety Association tackles fall hazards

DCN ARCHIVES

May 21, 2010

The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) says it will be adding training sessions in an effort to combat fall hazards in the Ontario construction industry.

Last Thursday, the provincial minister of labour, Peter Fonseca, announced the results of a three-month enforcement blitz of over 2,800 construction sites in Ontario.

The blitz uncovered widespread neglect of safety rules. The most common violations related to fall protection.

■ Improved construction site safety a ‘shared responsibility,’ Ontario labour minister says

In a move to help train workers at risk of falls, IHSA will add an extra 200 sessions of its Basics of Fall Protection classroom training to its course offerings this summer.

IHSA will host the expert-led sessions in locations across Ontario. The course covers the basic knowledge workers need to do their jobs safely when working at heights.

IHSA is also involved in other initiatives to help protect construction workers from falls, including:

Spearheading the development of a standard for fall-protection training in Ontario. The draft standard is currently being shared with stakeholders in both labour and employer groups. IHSA is pushing for a rigorous standard to become mandatory in Ontario.

Hosting workshops for managers of construction companies that operate suspended access equipment, commonly referred to as “swingstages”. These workshops provide key decision-makers with a forum to identify solutions to swingstage problems.

Supporting Ontario construction’s Provincial Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee as it advises the Minister of Labour about enforcement and mandatory training on fall protection and other high-hazard construction activities.

To register for a training course, contact IHSA at 1-800-781-2726 or www.ihsa.ca.

-RCD Digital Media

Print | Comment

Email This Story