Incident Investigation: Worker Falls Down Ventilation Shaft | WorkSafeBC

This video recreates an incident at a highrise construction site in British Columbia where a worker died after falling 30 feet down an unguarded ventilation shaft.

Using animation and photos from the worksite, this incident investigation slide show depicts the events and underlying factors that led to the incident. It describes how the lack of an appropriate fall protection system directly caused the incident.

It also shows the importance of effective communication, safe work procedures, risk assessment, planning, and supervision when working at heights.

Construction employers in B.C. can use this video to educate their workers on safety procedures and risk awareness around falls from elevation.

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro & personnel onsite
0:38 Shaft dimensions & hazards
1:06 Safe work procedure developed & hazards assessed
2:11 Worker falls down vertical shaft
2:48 How can we prevent falls at height?
3:07 Cause & analysis

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[Lsthnbrd]

After watching a few of these videos, I have learned a couple things:

1) Never be Worker 1
2) If you work for Firm B or C, never do a job at Firm A

[jennylover]

Poor guy he just wanted to find more debris to sweep up....

[brodftw]

No one's talking about the fact Worker 3 came within under a metre of dying identically to Worker 1

[PikaPetey]

Fall protection. A lightbulb and a fucking mattress on the floor.

[conantdog]

Headlamp would have saved his life you can't count on safety officers and superintendents to keep you alive .

[flailios]

Even if the shafts were not intended for human occupation, the responsibility of the designer should have been highlighted. They should have installed a gate at that end.

[goneutt]

Umm, isn't the primary problem walking into the dark?

[Ryarios]

The CSO was worthless...
Lack of sufficient light, lack of oversight, lack of sufficient planning, lack of barriers, lack of sufficient training, lack of proper instructions. That’s a lot of fails.

[EpicFishFingers]

This is awful: Worker 1's last words would have been something like "I'm going to go find some more dust to sweep up", and his last acts involved sweeping up dust in the dark, and looking for more dust to sweep up in the dark.
I think what makes this so tragic is the fact that the guy spent most of the day doing a boring job in poor conditions, abandoned by the people who were meant to be keeping him safe, but worst of all, the thing that killed him was his eagerness to do the job properly, or to go above and beyond. If he'd half-arsed it and just got out of there, he'd have survived.

[gerardoperez]

That phone flashlight saved the life of him. He was only 2 feet away from having the same fate was worker 1

[deadlydeltox]

I feel like they need to change the music on this video.

"Worker 1 fell into the pit and f*cking died" *heartwarming music playing*

[rrrohan]

i cant find any info on any company called firm A. must of gone out of business

[robertrishel]

After watching several of these videos, I have to say this “Firm A” seems like a very dangerous company to work for!
😂😂😂

[Cybernatural]

The real problem with those labour ready workers is how hard they are pushed. They get yelled at to work faster and any talk of their safety is just lip service to meet regulations.

As a union tradesman treated with a bit more respect by my employer I always feel bad watching those people get treated like crap by incompetent foreman who are themselves pushed too hard and not given enough workers.

That "THUD" sound effect was brutal.

[felipecardoza]

"Oh, they were only supposed to work between the ladders." Yeah, cover yer ass. Howzabout, "Hey, dudes, at this end is a 30 foot drop! Watch yourself!"

[ScoutSniper]

One of the 11 fatalities that took place during my 6 month cruise aboard a U.S. Aircraft Carrier was a Sailor failing from the "Island" structure because someone left a floorplate off 50+ feet in the air. Given that carriers at night have very few lights above decks, most of them red and its hard as hell to see. Sad way to end one's life for a STUPID mistake.

[HamguyBacon]

at least put some netting over there if you are going to be too cheap to give them flashlights.

[Kevin-kgcw]

Man I’m really down this rabbit hole. First the quicksand vid, the ice rink with the 3 workers, the tree that fell on a worker, and now this lmao

[richardwebb]

As a foreman, I've always, always inspected the work area with the workmen that are going to do the job, even if (in my case) it means climbing down manholes full of shyte.
Once the work is completed, I do another inspection, if only to make sure no tools have been left behind.
That was a lazy inept foreman.