The Construction Safety Association of BC (CSABC) is pleased to announce training partnerships with two leading fall protection training providers. As of June 2008, both Fall Protection Group Inc. (FPG) and Hazmasters will provide a one-day end-user course, which references both WorkSafeBC standards and Canadian Standard Association all protection equipment standards. In addition, FPG will provide a three-day train-the-trainer program in fall protection.

According to WorkSafeBC, falls are one of the three main accident categories that dominate the construction sector. An average of ten workers die every year in BC after a fall from elevation. Falls also tend to produce the most severe injuries, resulting in the highest costs per claim at $29,922 and 67 days lost on average.

Although falling from elevation is a dangerous hazard for many BC workers, in most cases it can be easily prevented. That’s why the fall protection standards and training requirements contained within BC’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation are so important. It requires workers to use a fall protection system anywhere they could fall at least three metres (ten feet) or anywhere a fall from a lesser height may result in serious injury. In addition, workers must be trained thoroughly in safe use and limitations of personal fall protection equipment, including safety belts, harnesses,
lanyards and lifelines.

When work involves heights above 7.3 metres (25 feet), employers are required to have a written fall protection plan, detailing fall hazards; the systems in place to minimize those hazards; the procedures for using, maintaining and inspecting fall protection equipment; and the procedures for rescue if a worker has fallen and is suspended by a personal fall protection system or safety net.

These minimum training and equipment requirements, if followed correctly, can greatly reduce the risk of injury or death from falls and save lives. Just ask Darren Sather, a construction safety offi cer working on a new high rise in downtown Vancouver. One of the company’s younger employees was recently working on the fi fth fl oor of the building when he suddenly fell over the slab edge and was suspended upside down until he was rescued a couple of minutes later. “Wearing the appropriate fall protection safety equipment and prior training in the proper use of it saved the worker’s life. It only took a second and he was over the edge, with absolutely no chance to recover. Without the equipment and training he would have fallen five floors onto a concrete slab and wouldn’t have survived.”

According to Sather, “The worker completed fall protection training just two days before the incident. It is very important for young workers in particular to have this training, as they lack the skills and knowledge of the more seasoned worker.”

CSABC views the new fall protection training as a key to increasing workplace safety and it will now be offered as one of the electives of the CSABC’s Certifi cate of Recognition (COR) Program. The new end user course is very comprehensive and includes a combination of theory and practical training. Not only do participants have the opportunity to actually inspect gear, they are also taken through a variety of practical scenarios to give them experience in using the most common fall protection equipment. Another key component of the course is training on how to develop a personalized all protection plan. Everyone who successfully completes the one-day fall protection training receives a three-year certification.

The Train-the Trainer program is three days in length and will certify qualifi ed applicants in the delivery of the end-user course. Those who meet certifi cation requirements will be able to provide the end user course on behalf of CSABC and Fall Protection Group Inc.

For more information on fall protection training and the Certificate of Recognition Program visit the CSABC website at <www.csabc.ca> or contact Cathy Lange, Executive Director for CSABC at 604.434.3222 or <clange@csabc.ca>.

For more information on the Construction Safety Training System, visit the
Construction Safety Association of BC at <www.csabc.ca> or contact Cathy
Lange, Executive Director at 604.434.3222.

Source: WorkSafeBC Data Warehouse for 2004 – 2006 as of November 30, 2007