Ontario Calls for More Heights-Work Training

Ontario’s chief coroner is calling for expanded working-at-heights training after finding that the 26 construction workplace deaths reviewed were the result of “specific issues, notably supervisory challenges, ineffective policy or practice, equipment malfunctions or unfortunate decisions.”
The fatalities, which occurred between 2017 and 2023, were reviewed in the office’s inaugural “Falls from Heights Annual Report,” the first to emerge from new legislation mandating annual coroner-led reviews of accidental construction deaths.
The report examines systemic issues across the sector, drawing from a wider dataset of 131 fall-related fatalities between 2009 and 2024. It includes seven formal recommendations directed at provincial ministries and sector stakeholders.
Inexperience and age were identified as contributing factors in the incidents.
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The Newburgh, Indiana PBTT manufacturing facility was already familiar to OSHA investigators before this week’s fire that resulted in a local shelter-in-place advisory, according to local media reports.
The agency had previously investigated incidents in December 2024 and October 2023.
The latter incidents resulted in OSHA’s citing four “serious” violations with multiple sub-violations and penalties.
In the latest incident, officials say they need more time to conduct further analysis to positively identify which combustible metals or chemicals were involved.
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OSHA has fined Chicopee Concrete Service nearly $58,000 following a deadly workplace accident earlier this year.
A worker died from asphyxiation in January when he fell into a cement hopper at a work site.
According to OSHA’s report, the worker was attempting to remove a blockage in the cement hopper when the accident occurred.
The investigation cited the Massachusetts firm for 14 violations, including failure to provide proper training and the absence of an appropriate guardrail system.
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