Inquest into Trenton death of construction worker makes safety recommendations

Brad Wright
Brad Wright

Ontario Construction News staff writer

An inquest into the 2018 death of a construction worker in Trenton concluded with several recommendations to improve safety at construction sites.

Bradley Wright, 55, was a self-employed contractor working for Davis New Homes and Developments.

He was helping an excavator operator doing trench work when the trench collapsed, killing him.

The inquest jury recommends mandatory training on trenching regulations for “all workers who dig or have to work in trenches and have municipalities inform contractors regarding applicable regulations during the building permit process.”

Recommendations:

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD)

  • Amend the Construction Regulations to include:
    • Mandatory training on trenching regulations for all workers who are required to dig or enter a trench;
    • Mandatory training of all supervisors, or workers functioning in a supervisory role, on the regulations governing any anticipated construction activities specific to their worksite(s).  For example, if trenching is anticipated to be necessary, they should be completely prepared to offer guidance to workers who will be entering the trench.
  • Consider strategies for partnering with municipal building departments to provide constructors with information about the applicable regulations when they apply for building permits.
  • Consider adding an alternative quantitative methodology for identification of soil type to the existing qualitative methodology in O. Reg. 213/91 -Sec 226 to reduce ambiguity in selection of soil type when quantitative information is available.

MLTSD and Infrastructure Health and Safety Association

  • Conduct a comprehensive review of current strategies for engaging with constructors and their employees. Develop and implement more effective strategies to ensure that these companies and workers:
    1. Are aware of their legal obligations and rights under the OHSA and Construction Regulations
    2. Are aware of and have access to resources to help identify and eliminate hazards at their workplaces
    3. Are aware of and have access to training resources to protect the health and safety of workers

City of Quinte West and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario

  • Encourage communication between building inspectors and their managers about workplace hazards observed during building inspections.  Inspectors should be encouraged to reflect on and report situations where workers are potentially at risk from hazards or incomplete application of construction regulations. Managers and inspectors should work together to promote safety on these worksites and communicate any concerns to the workplace parties and/or MLTSD when appropriate.
  • Consider the provision of OHSA and Construction Regulation training to building inspectors and their managers to educate them on safe working conditions and to be able to identify unsafe working conditions.
  • Consider a change to the way developers install municipal services, such that the connection for sewer pipes are higher than the current practice and separated from the other services such as hydro and gas connections. This would allow constructors of new homes to avoid dangerously deep trenches when connecting site services.

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