November 1^st marks national fall prevention month! At Safety First Consulting, the health and safety of your workers is our priority, not only in the month of November, but throughout the entire year. According to Fall Protection Month, falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths. Currently, there are over one million emergency department visits made to the hospital, which includes both critical injuries as we as disability-related injuries.

What is Fall Prevention Month?

Fall Prevention Month is an annual call to action campaign that encourages Canadian organizations and individuals to come together to deploy fall prevention efforts each November for a coordinated and larger impact. As the demand for construction work and workers increase in Canada, there is a greater risk of potential workplace injuries from occurring. Fall protection and prevention are a few of the many ways employers can prevent workplace injuries from occurring.

Fall Protection vs Prevention

Fall protection helps to reduce the workers’ impact from potential hazards in the event that they injure themselves on site. Protection specifically includes equipment, such as harnesses, hardhat, safety googles, and other required equipment. Under section 25 (1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), it is the duty of the employer to ensure that all equipment, materials, and protective devices, such as harnesses, are maintained in good working conditions. Additionally, the above tools must be used correctly, following all necessary measures and procedures to ensure that workers do not pose any greater risk to themselves while on a construction site.

Fall prevention, on the other hand, are steps workers can take to prevent a trip, fall, or slip before it happens. They are the systems in place used to control the number of workers from fall-related injuries. Examples may include the installation of properly maintained and constructed guardrails, or netting systems used to catch workers in the event of a fall.

Working at Heights

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, all employers must ensure that workers using fall protection systems are properly trained in its use and given appropriate instructions, meeting the working at heights training requirements under O. Reg. 213/91 and O. Reg. 297/13. All Working at Heights training must be approved by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s Chief Prevention Officer (CPO-Approved). It is necessary that all workers, including those visiting a jobsite, have a valid Working at Heights training certificate to ensure they are following all legislative requirements under the OHSA, as well as ensuring their overall health and safety. To learn more about Safety First Consulting’s Working at Heights training (Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development’s Chief Prevention Officer Approved), contact info@safetyfirstconsulting, or call 905-669-5444.

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