With Ontario's newly elected government now in place, and the CPO will soon have a mandatory working at heights course deadline date set, I am dumbfounded to see companies not enforcing PPE usage when working above 10 ft.
In the week of July 14-18, Ottawa had two workplace incidents, leaving one worker dead and an another extremely close to a death you would think that should set off alarms to all construction workers, but surprise.
After work Friday late afternoon I was traveling through Bells Corners, a sector of West Ottawa I happened to see a worker on the top of a roof what seem like he was unloading building materials. The building is a very well known steak house approximately 25 ft in the air to the peak. What first attracted my attention was, the worker wobbled like he was loosing his balance so as I drove past I had a better view and here we go, no PPE worn. It took my breath away.
Workers do you not get the big picture. What's it going to take. Employers do you not care for the safety of your workers. Your reckless and dangerous work practices is giving good reputable construction companies a black eye. Mr CPO your new mandatory working at Heights Course isn't going to change the attitude of companies who only care for money and not the health and safety of their employees. These companies need to be put on a timeout, and when Ministry of labor inspectors find these companies a message must be given to the worker, supervisor, and the owners of the company.
It's one thing when an accident happens, families suffer, but when companies recklessly endanger the industry, the workers, and possibly the public it leaves me breathless. Tens of millions of dollars is being spent on training workers in the new and improved working at heights course and what they've learned is not being taken out in the field is nothing shy but a waste of time and money. Why should good companies have to pay for the reckless acts of companies that just don't care.
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