The Height of Safety
Jessica Krippendorf

You've done this job a million times. After a while it just becomes routine. Until one day you take one step just a little too close to the edge, fasten a harness just a little too quickly or get distracted for just a second. And a second is all it takes.

Actually, it takes less than that. A person will fall four feet in half a second and 256 feet in four seconds, so no, there might not be time to grab on to something. WorkSafe BC says falls account for 22 percent of all claims in the building construction (ICI) sector and 30 percent of all costs in this classification unit. Injuries sustained by a fall from scaffold, staging or platform cost about $45,202 per claim with 83 work days lost and a fall from roof costs about $43,938 per claim with 139 days missed.

Fifteen percent of work-related fatality claims accepted by WorkSafe BC between 2004 and 2006 were due to falls between 11 and 35 feet, approximately half of which were the result of inadvertent / inappropriate use of personal safety devices and aerial lift equipment. And before we gang up on the young guys, it's important to note that the average age of the one million plus men and women working in Canada's construction industry is 41, and falling accidents are proportionally dispersed among age groups in BC.

According to WorkSafe BC, a company-specific, written fall protection plan is required for work within a potential fall hazard of 25 feet or more. Certification is also required for anyone operating aerial lift equipment. Increasingly, the industry is coming together to provide adequate training for those working at heights, so meeting OHS regulations is easier than ever.

CSABC is currently in the process of recognizing two providers of fall protection training for the province. "CSABC recognizes the importance of quality training in fall protection," says executive director Cathy Lange, adding that instructors from Fall Protection Group Inc. and Hazmasters out of Burnaby will be offering the courses with CSABC approval later this year. "These providers will be submitting documentation assuring that training is conducted to the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Equipment Standards," says Lange.

Hazmasters, with offices coast to coast, offers the Fall Protection Defined program twice per month out of its Burnaby office. The eight-hour course covers inspection and use of basic fall prevention equipment, procedures, regulations and the requirements of a WorkSafe BC fall protection plan. Students also learn the ins and outs of 15 to 20 different harnesses and are suspended to demonstrate adequate skill.

"The course is designed for new and experienced workers," says training coordinator Derek Malone. "We have never had a person say they did not learn something beneficial for working at heights and that is with thousands of students, some of whom are very experienced."

Fall Protection Defined first started in 2001 and has evolved with the standards, regulations and equipment since. It and a second, more advanced fall protection program are based on open enrolment and private courses can also be arranged. Though certification cards are not time stamped, Malone recommends retraining every two years, or more often if the skills aren't used on a regular basis. Hazmasters, with instructors across the province, offers retests, translation services, extensive evaluation throughout the course and boasts a 95 percent pass rate. For more information visit Hazmasters online at www.hasmasters.com or call 604.420.0025.

The Fall Protection Group Inc., a company delivering fall protection and rescue training throughout North America, is working out the final details of tailoring a one-day fall protection course to the work environment in BC. It covers the "five Ws and the H," says director Ron O'Neil, as well as anchorages, connectors, harnesses, vertical and horizontal systems, equipment specifications and more. Students assemble various components, conduct equipment inspections and are evaluated using a practical proficiency check list, and a written tests focused on ensuring Though retests aren't available, students thus far have produced a failure rate of less than one percent.

"We are commissioned by CSABC to elevate a person's knowledge and competency to a high, minimum level," says O'Neil, "and we try our best to meet the mandate of that commission." While developed with the end user in mind, O'Neil says a major focus of the course is its trainers' component. "We also engage trainers to utilize their existing experience for their company by attending the trainerÕs program enabling them to do their own training."

Participants interested in becoming fall protection trainers will be encouraged to apply for an additional course, which will take approximately four days and be offered scheduled and by-demand on the Lower Mainland, in the Interior and possibly in Prince George by the end of March.

O'Neil says even students working at heights for 20 or 30 years value the affirmation they get from the course that they're knowledge is correct. "We also offer CSA training and this program definitely holds its ground in relation to national training."

Those interested in getting the full details on the Fall Protect Group's BC Industrial/Commercial (BCIC) Fall Protection and User Program can email info@fallprogroup.com or call 403.270.2332.

United Rentals, with branch locations in Vancouver, Burnaby and Richmond, offers, for rental or select used sales, electric and rough terrain scissor lifts, telescopic boom, towable boom, and articulating Z boom lifts from Genie and JLG as well as Skyjack pusharound lifts, with various heights and applications.

In accordance with the certification requirement, United Rentals offers a full-day, OSHA/OHSA approved training certification course that covers safe operation and a safety feature overview of boom lifts, scissor lifts or a combination of both, utilizing instructions for proper use, safety handouts and protective equipment and supplies.

Certified trainer Mitch Flesher says the courses consist of a three and a half hour in-class session with a book and written test as well as a hands-on competency test. "Participants have to demonstrate a visual, pre-trip inspection and minimal skill requirements," says Flesher. "Most job sites require some sort of certification to operate aerial lifts, so these courses are open to anyone."

For its customers, the company also offers a 30-minute, machine-specific orientation that covers basic operation and safety features on-site. Harnesses and lanyards are also available for use with instruction upon request. Though the safety features offered by today's aerial lift equipment aren't recently new, Flesher says participants are often surprised by what they don't know.

"We run a lot of these courses and I train people who have been operating these machines for ten or 15 years, yet when we go over the features a lot of them say, 'Oh that's what that's for.'"

Additional task-specific training offered by the company covers trenching and shoring, fall protection, working in confined spaces and several other topics. Visit United Rentals online at www.ur.com for full product details or to locate a branch.

Leavitt Machinery sells, rents, leases and services materials handling and aerial lift equipment across the Pacific Northwest. With JLG scissor lifts, boom lifts and vertical personnel lifts; CAT forklifts and lift trucks; and a host of other lift, crane and materials handling equipment from Hyundai, Terex, Jungheinrich, PowerBoss and Taylor, the company's scope of service is well rounded with machine-specific certification and training.

The eight-hour aerial lift equipment course covers, among other things, machine-specific operation, pre-trip inspections, emergency controls, operator evaluation and surroundings site inspections.

"We can't teach experience," says instructor Ron Hipfner, "but we can teach the safe operation of a machine."

Students also review operator manuals, statistical information about fall rates and causes and are familiarized with the ANSI booklets required by law to be in each machine at all times.

"People don't realize it, but these booklets outline the responsibilities of the operator and owner, and cover pre-trips and fall protection requirement, using phrases like 'The owner shall ... the operator shall ...' They read like a legal document and if there were an accident the officers involved would be referring to these."

Hipfner, who works out of Edmonton says Alberta experienced 346 occupational related deaths between 1996 and 2005 and 14.5 percent of them were related to falls.

"Another amazing thing is people with 20-30 years experience are the most prone to dieing," says Hipfner. "In the age group of 25-44, 171 workplace fatalities occurred, and in 45 and older there were 119. So it's not just young people we're talking about."

Leavitt's training programs are open to anyone. While the curriculum is somewhat generic, Leavitt's factory-trained instructors can tailor a program depending on the needs of participants. The company also offers a two-day Train the Trainer component for those who wish in-house training that covers teaching methodology, adult learning, inspecting inspections and peer critique.

Pre-scheduled or private classes for either program are available in groups of 6-12. Contact Leavitt's Operator Training division at 604.291.0977 or visit the company website at .

Anyone looking for further information on fall safety, worker injury, accident responsibility and prevention or certification options on any topic are encouraged to call WorkSafe BC (888.621.SAFE), Construction Safety Association of BC (604.315.3722), SMW Local 280 (800.242.8645) or SMACNA-BC (604.299.4641). With the advancement of certification and training programs backed by government and association support, the construction sector has a stronger than ever opportunity to take worker skill and overall safety to new heights. SMJ

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Official Journal of Record for SMACNA-BC