Falls in the workplace are not only preventable, but they end up costing Ontario, Canada employers and others countless dollars.
From childhood onward, every person has fallen at one time or another. Whether it was a tumble from a bicycle or piece of playground equipment, you quickly learned falling down and getting back up was a basic part of life, right? The only problem is, according to workplace statistics, some of folks don’t get back up again. Ever.
As a matter of fact, 20 people die each year due to falls in Ontario workplaces, according to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB). A tragic workplace incident in Toronto on Christmas Eve 2009, when a high-rise scaffold collapsed and four workers lost their lives and another was seriously injured, prompted the Ministry of Labor to appoint an expert advisory panel to review Ontario’s occupational health and safety system.
More recently, in September 2013, Ontario’s Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis sought a call to action regarding workplace falls, stating “I am extremely distressed by the number of workplace fatalities related to falls that have occurred recently. Since June, nine workers have died on the job as a result of falls. What is even more disturbing is that falls are one of the most common workplace tragedies. These needless, intolerable tragedies must be stopped!”
New Training Program Now Law
To this effect, a new mandatory health and safety awareness training program is now law in the province of Ontario, and employers have until July 1, 2014 to ensure all employees have completed the program. The Ministry of Labor recently provided booklets in different languages, along with an e-learning component at no cost to all employers.
Also in development, a Working at Heights Training Program Standard, will emphasize hands-on experience and knowledge and, at the same time, reinforce company safety culture. Developed in collaboration with both labor and business, the new training standard is expected to be released this autumn.
Why focus on falls in Ontario workplaces?
• Every day, 80 workers are injured in a fall – that’s one every 20 minutes.
• There are approximately 17,000 lost-time injuries each year due to workplace falls.
• 65 percent of all fall-related injuries are from slips and trips, i.e. same level falls.
• Whether a few centimeters or 120 stories, 34 percent of injuries and many work-related deaths are the result of a fall from height.
• One in five lost-time injuries results from falls.
In addition to the human toll of suffering and anxiety that occurs after a workplace injury, an average WSIB claim is $11,771. However, after factoring in other costs like staff replacement, lost productivity, and equipment, the WSIB estimates costs can be as much as four times the claim – about $59,000 per injury – not to mention the amount of time and money spent generating additional sales to recover lost profit.
Why are workers still falling?
Despite the best prevention efforts, workers are still being injured by falls due to the following:
• Working conditions like slippery floors and surfaces, poor lighting and housekeeping practices
• Protective devices like guardrails are missing
• Equipment like ladders and scaffolds are in poor condition or not used properly
• Fall protection equipment is not available, not used or misused
• Poor work practices, such as unclear job procedures, lack of training, or rushing to meet deadlines.
The Responsibility of Employers
For employers, it is important to:
• Have a company policy in place that clearly outlines the rules for housekeeping, lighting and inspections.
• Make sure that required personal protective equipment, and other equipment, is in good repair and used properly.
• Help supervisors meet their responsibility to ensure health and safety rules are followed.
• Make sure employees know and understand the rules; provide proper training on how to clean up spills, use fall protection equipment, construct guardrails, and use covers on holes in the floor, etc.
• Ongoing follow-up to ensure the rules are being followed, and identify what needs improvement.
• Immediately investigate all incidents and near-misses to determine and eliminate the cause.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: [email protected].
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