The Ministry of Labour (MOL) is investigating the death of masons who fell five storeys from a mast climbing work platform (MCWP) at a condominium under construction in Toronto.
"The Ministry of Labour was notified of a construction-related event involving two workers on March 27," said Ontario MOL spokesperson William Lin.
"Two workers were on a mast climber when it collapsed. One worker was pronounced deceased at the scene, the other worker was transported to hospital. The worker later succumbed to injuries."
The incident happened at a condominium project located at 1830 Bloor St. W. just before 11:30 a.m.
Emergency medical services, Toronto Fire and Police were dispatched and attended the scene.
MOL inspectors and an engineer were immediately dispatched and the investigation is ongoing.
The constructor of the project is Daniels Oakmount Corporation and the employer of the workers is Venice Masonry Contractors Limited.
Initial reports suggested the masons fell about five storeys when the MCWP collapsed.
MCWPs are a horizontal platform driven up and down on a vertical mast that can raise platforms up to 60 feet long to heights of several hundred feet. The platforms are driven by electric or gasoline motors using rack and pinion technology or hydraulic cylinders for lifting.
Heavy loads of up to 10,000-pounds can be lifted on a single platform, which allows workers and materials to be delivered to the façade of a building at the touch of a button.
For this reason, the MCWPs are the preferred method of access in a number of trades, including masonry. The incident occurred several days before the launch of MOL’s new program under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires certain workers complete working at heights training starting on April 1, 2015.
"With all the education and awareness by government, unions, employers, health and safety associations, and all the safety equipment that companies have to protect workers, tragedies like this are particularly disconcerting," said Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn and Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis in a joint press statement.
"Ministry of Labour inspectors are currently investigating this incident, with the goal of learning how this happened and how similar tragedies can be prevented in the future."
The new working at heights training is required for workers on any construction projects who use any of the following methods of fall protection: a travel restraint system; a fall restricting system; a fall arrest system; a safety net; a work belt; or, a safety belt.
"We are committed to the health and safety of all the Ontario men and women who go to work every day, and we ask that all workers, supervisors, employers, unions and regulators double their efforts to increase health and safety in the workplace," said the joint Flynn and Gritziotis statement.
"Again, we would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the families, friends and colleagues of the individuals who lost their lives at work today."
The reduction of working at heights injuries and fatalities through standardized training is a key recommendation of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety that was led by Tony Dean in 2010.
The panel was a response to the Kipling Avenue tragedy, in which four construction workers plunged 13 storeys to their deaths, while undertaking apartment restoration work at a site in Toronto on Dec. 24 2009. A fifth worker survived the fall, but sustained serious injuries.
According to a report from the Raleigh News & Observer, three construction workers were killed on March 23 when a mobile scaffolding platform ripped away from the side of an office building under construction in downtown Raleigh, N.C.
The report said a support structure of the scaffolding system failed near the fifth floor and fell into the performing arts center parking lot across the street. A piece of the frame pierced the glass wall, hanging there for hours afterward.
A 2010 report by the Center for Construction Research and Training in the United States said mast climbers represent a powerful technology for the construction industry that is as safe as other forms of scaffolding, if erected and used correctly.
"However, given the basic mechanics of their design, mast climbers may be less forgiving than other types of scaffolds if not correctly installed or operated," said the report.
"In particular, their ability to carry multiple workers as well as extremely large loads can lead to catastrophic loss if operating instructions, such as weight-bearing and load distribution requirements, are not followed."
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