Fall protection on employers' shoulders, instructor says

A safety instructor in St. John's says there's no excuse for employees to work unprotected at construction sites, given what people know about fatal workplace accidents.

Dave Strickland, who works with Rogers Enterprises Limited, made the comments following the death of CJ Curtis from Trepassey.

"I'd expect it years ago but today with so much safety, with everybody's knowledge and with the safety course on the go, there really is no excuse in 2015 for any employer not to provide adequate protection for anyone working at heights," Strickland told CBC News.

Curtis was not tethered when he fell through a skylight on a building in his hometown, dropping 20 feet to the concrete below on Tuesday. 

He died in hospital in St. John's the next day.

"All hazards have to be identified and they have to be controlled or prevented. The risk of falls has to be eliminated."

It's not just tethers that employers can provide, Stickland said, adding workers can use guard rails, fall arrests or safety nets depending on the type of work that's being done.

150 directives issued

In Strickland's experience, smaller, residential construction companies are usually the ones that cut corners around workplace legislation, as opposed to larger commercial businesses.  

"It's sad in 2015 that it's still going on and it's against the law," he said. "People are getting hurt and they are dying."

Dan Crummell, minister of Service NL, called Occupation Health and Safety "robust" and "the best in the country."

"I have a young son who works in the trades, and my thoughts are with the family, I can't imagine what they're going through," Crummell said of Curtis's death.

Crummell said 5,000 OHS inspections took place on job sites last year, with about 13,000 directives issued.

Of those directives, 150 were issued because of employees working at heights without fall protection.