Kite sailing on construction sites?

Here is an accident waiting to happen: A worker (photo) is carrying an 8′x4′ sheet of plywood near the edge of an unguarded work surface that is at least 15 foot above the ground.

I watched in horror. Had he been caught by the wind at any time, he would have likely been carried to the ground with serious injuries resulting, or worse. This article would have carried a very different headline.

Here’s the safety issue There were no temporary guard rails system set up to prevent him from being blown over the edge. Guardrails should have been set up around the perimeter of this elevated area, in fact around any work surface area 2.4 meters or more above grade, in order to protect workers from falls. These regulations are no secret; you’ll find them in the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and Regulations for Construction Projects (Green book) in Ontario, Regulation 26.3 (1).

These are the very same regulations will also be used against anyone found guilty of contravening the Act. Regulations 26.3 (1) says: “A guardrail system that meets the requirements of this section shall be used if a worker has access to the perimeter or open side of any of the following work surfaces and is exposed to a fall of 2.4 metres or more.”

How do you build a temporary guardrail? It’s all there, detailed guardrail specifications, in the same green regulation book, under Regulation 26 (3) 4. By the way, this is the same green book (Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulation for Construction Projects) that must be accessible for workers on all Ontario construction job sites.

What else bothered me about this situation? There was no supervisor or constructor on site, yet another contravention of regulations. Workers must be supervised! As Regulation 25. (2) (a) clearly says, someone must be on hand to “provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker.”

CLICK HERE to request a free download of the Act covering these points

Of course, if you operate outside Ontario, you should check with your provincial authority for guidance specific to your region.

Not sure of your current safety responsibilities? If you operate in Ontario, get yourself up to speed initially through the new Ontario Working at Heights Standard Training course. This course is a requirement for every worker working or climbing above heights of 3 meters or more. This includes commercial, industrial, residential and home renovations.