Posted: Mar 01 '19
Every day, four construction workers lose their lives, often from preventable accidents. In fact, deaths from elevated surfaces account for one-third of all construction industry fatalities. That’s before you account for annual injuries sustained by workers working from height. In Canada, that number currently stands at 40,000. This is simply unacceptable!
To remedy this situation, everyone involved needs to play their part in minimizing and eliminating the risk of falling. For employers, one of the best ways to do this is through fall protection training. The following are four reasons your workers need to take a fall protection course:
The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has established several safety standards that employers need to adhere to. Among them is the duty to provide employees with proper training about workplace and worksite hazards and how to keep themselves safe when working in hazardous situations. The training must also help workers select, use, and maintain appropriate fall protection equipment and systems. Failure to provide training is a violation of the law.
Aside from observing the law, it is also important to enroll your workers in a fall protection course for their own safety. If the workplace or a worksite has been established to pose the risk of falling, workers in those conditions need to know how to stay safe and keep the risk of falling to a minimum. They need to know what fall protection systems and personal protective equipment to use and the course of action if there’s a fall. This knowledge can only be gained from a fall protection course.
Another reason your workers need a fall protection course is litigation and insurance. When there is an incident at the workplace or at a worksite, attorneys will begin by requesting documented proof showing that everything relating to fall protection at that site is up to CCOHS standards. Providing worker training is one of CCOHS requirements. Additionally, insurance companies may also want to see proof of compliance. Providing and documenting your fall protection course involvements can prove vital here too.
Finally, it’s an established fact that workplace safety is a primary determinant of employee satisfaction. Moreover, a safe workplace reduces costs associated with litigation, sick days, and workplace injuries. A proper fall protection course can be the starting point of improved safety in the workplace, and thus increased employee productivity.
Don’t let the costs of workplace falls weigh you down. Contact us today to enroll in a fall protection course.
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