Last Tuesday, a local construction worker fell to his death in a tragic accident; his fall yet another unfortunate statistic enforcing the need for proper safety equipment. Despite regulations, the contracted HVAC worker was alone on the roof of the Millbury Cinema complex when he fell approximately 30-35 feet from the unsecured structure. The victim was unresponsive to first responders and later pronounced dead at UMass Memorial Medical Center. While deemed an accident, NBC’s website reports, “a MPD Detective, the Worcester County State Police Detective Unit and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) representatives are conducting concurrent investigations” (Buja, 2017).
Sadly, there are many local stories resembling the accident in Millbury--78 over the past five years in fact--that could have likely been prevented if the proper equipment and precautions were in place. Indeed, OSHA’s ranks fall protection as the most cited violation (6,721) last year (Paskell 2015). So why do contractors and job site managers choose to ignore the regulations and put their workers at risk? According to Paskell, of four Boston-area contractors polled, only one was compliant with fall protection equipment, the rest claiming that “it costs too much money,” “it’s uncomfortable,” and, “it limits mobility.”
Regardless of personal opinions, the fact of the matter is this: safety equipment saves lives and should be worn at all times. GSS fabricates and installs certified preventative fall equipment like roof anchors, horizontal lifelines, and safety railings. Additionally, the use of our personal fall protection will protect workers and guard against liability. Complaints regarding the cost and comfort of such equipment needs to be addressed with culture change and focus on safety over productivity. While implementing proper safety equipment can bring increased costs to a business, the cost of human lives drastically decreases. Safety should be the primary concern for everyone in the workplace. Communication about safety that is company wide can help foster safer working habits for employees.
Sources:
Buja, Melissa. "Worker Killed After Falling From Roof of Millbury Cinema" 2017.
Fatal Falls Among MA Construction Workers
Paskell, Mark. "Contractor Coaching Blog" 2015
