The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) has launched its new Working at Heights fall prevention training program, which addresses the basic fall prevention information to help workers work safely in areas where they may be exposed to fall hazards.

As the father of two young children, the idea that they could be injured seriously scares me. Through my extensive experience applying safety tactics in major industrial environments, I have learned the virtues of applying them at home.

In my experience, efforts to prevent injuries are typically targeted towards workplace exposures. However, if an individual is provided with safety information that is portable, they can translate their efforts to other areas of life; not just at work.

Capital Safety's Portable Guardrail System is a freestanding system that can be erected in minutes, requires no permanent or penetrating surface attachments, and seals off areas and edges that are unprotected, offering an ideal passive fall protection solution, the company said. The guardrails are offered in six-foot, eight-foot and ten-foot sections to fit a site’s specific needs. The new and unique lightweight bases incorporate ergonomic handles, four rail receptacles and built-in toe-board brackets that allow infinite configurations with no additional components required, the company said. The system also features a rubber pad on the bottom of each base providing skid resistance and surface protection. Capital said installation of the Portable Guardrail System is quick and easy with no special tools required. Simply position the bases, insert the guardrail sections into the bases and tighten the set screws to secure in place. www.capitalsafety.com

Earlier this year, the Ontario Ministry of Labour completed a 90-day provincial compliance and enforcement campaign to ensure employers and workers were complying with the regulations laid out in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The goal of the campaign, part of the Safe at Work Ontario strategy to strengthen workplace safety, was to promote long-term compliance and decrease injury and fatality rates.

A construction site is a great sign for a community. It signals investment, innovation and improvement. From government financing of rural infrastructure to major condo builds in city centres, you don’t have to go far to see this sort of development here in Canada.

Unfortunately, accidents on construction sites continue to dampen the great opportunities they bring.

The COS Fall Prevention Tip Contest has come to an end and we would like to congratulate our winner, Alex Ethier, for providing his best fall prevention safety tip. Ethier has been awarded for his insight with a new ExoFit NEX Harness, courtesy of Capital Safety Inc., which we hope will help to continue his safety practices in the workplace.

A new University of Toronto study on work-related traumatic brain injuries may be making a strong a case for developing age-specific fall prevention strategies for workers in the construction industry.

Capital Safety’s i-Safe Intelligent Safety System is a radio frequency identification (RFID)-based system dedicated to fall protection equipment tracking. The latest upgrade to the system called, i-Safe 2.0, makes managing a safety program even easier and more cost effective, the company says. The i-Safe system’s wireless data collection process consists of a web portal for information management and a mobile device for on-site inspections. The system allows users to easily record and access information on inspections, inventory and use information, track equipment assignments by worker or location, view or download safety and equipment instructions, and access links to safety standards. The information is stored and updated through a web-based database for easy access anytime. The i-Safe system also provides real-time date for report accuracy, Capital Safety says. The i-Safe mobile device enables field inspection and information management on the job site. Almost all DBI-SALA fall protection products are RFID-enabled and ready to be added to an i-Safe database. Retrofit tags are also available to outfit existing inventory from any manufacturer, as well as other equipment, such as ladders, fire extinguishers, power tools and more. The mobile reader scans the tags to record inspections, make job assignments or manage inventory in the field. Data is then uploaded to the interactive web portal.
www.capitalsafety.com

MSA now offers Heavy Worker Lanyards, low-profile, shock-absorbing lanyards rated to 400 pounds. These lanyards are available in polyester web and cable configurations, offer a choice of anchorage and harness connections, and comply with all applicable OSHA regulations, the company says. All Heavy Worker Lanyards contain a Sure-Stop Shock Absorber. Heavy Worker Lanyards use gray webbing in the shock-absorbing pouch to visually differentiate them from standard lanyards. This simplifies product selection and helps ensure that your workers are using the right product, the company says. Heavy Worker Lanyards keep fall arrest forces below OSHA limits, with deceleration distance controlled to a 42” maximum. Shock absorbers include clear, durable protective covers over labels to increase service life and allow for easy inspection, MSA says.
www.msanorthamerica.com

It could take several months before the Ministry of Labour can get answers on what led to the fatal accident of Andrew Hill, the elevator technician who fell to his death Wednesday morning while trying to repair an elevator at the TD Bank Tower in Toronto.

This is according to Wayne De L’Orme, provincial coordinator of the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s industrial health and safety program. De L’Orme declined to provide specifics of the investigation, but told COS that the length of the investigation would depend on “how technical the issues that we’re facing” are going to be.