Just a few days ago a worker in Bellvile, Ontario, was on a roof carrying and installing building trimming when the trimming he was carrying hit a power line giving him a severe shock that sent him plummeting 35 feet to the ground below. The worker suffered severe injuries that could have been prevented. Read more the article here.

Now under investigation by the Ministry of Labour, it appears that the man was not wearing personal fall protection equipment. The only things left on the cement next to where he fell was his work belt, a long piece of trimming and blood from his injuries. Sadly, there was no evidence of a harness or other gear.

Perhaps his employer didn't consider the work he and his partner were doing dangerous enough to require proper fall protection equipment. Maybe they thought that the workers weren't close enough to the edge of the building to elicit what some consider to be elaborate and expensive equipment. Or perhaps the equipment was available and the worker elected to not use it entirely on his own. An accident like this shows us that one can never be too prepared or too cautious. No one expected something like this to happen and though the worker wasn't near the edge of the roof to start with the result of the electric shock put him there.

The OSHA standards list 6 feet, or 1.8 meters, as the minimum height requirement for fall protection equipment and the Canada Ministry of Labour puts a general number of 3 metres as the minimum height requirement for the required use of safety gear be it personal fall protection equipment, guardrails or some other method of fall protection.

It is important to know the rules and follow the law with the use of proper fall protection equipment but its also important to simply keep people safe. At W.S. Safety Technologies, our philosophy is to provide the best custom designed fall protection systems and fall protection equipment that best fit our customers' needs. We want to keep you and your workers safe.