By law, an employer is required to notify the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Branch of a serious incident by the means of communication available. Serious Incident Alerts include descriptions of the actual serious incidents reported to WSH Branch and are provided to raise awareness and initiate preventative actions as appropriate.
The following six incidents occurred on Manitoba construction projects in August 2022:
- A worker was cutting a piece of baseboard on a table saw when their finger came into contact with the blade. Always keep hands out of the line of a saw blade and use a push stick to cut narrow/short stock. Review best practices for table saws.
- A worker was on a dirt ledge, went to jump down five feet, and put their hands out for balance. Their hands caught the edge of the foundation causing injury. Jumping from one level to another is NOT appropriate in construction — place and secure a ladder to access different levels at a jobsite.
- A worker was moving a floor joist off a machine and caused a pinch injury between the mechanism. Review causes and controls of pinch injuries that could occur on YOUR jobsite.
- A worker was exiting a scissor lift and stepped off the second last rung, causing injury to their leg. When exiting a scissorlift, always face ladder rungs and maintain three-point contact. Review best practices for scissorlifts with our virtual toolbox talk.
- A worker on a construction site removed their hard hat while on a break. Work was being done on a unit above, and a ready rod from the roof unit fell and struck the worker on the head. While on a construction site, workers should always wear hard hats — even if not actively participating in work.
- A worker fell approximately 12 feet from a low-pitched roof. The Manitoba legislation specifies fall protection is required when there is a risk of a worker falling three metres or more. Our virtual toolbox talk has more practical info on this.
To view previous serious incident reports, click here.
If you have concerns about the potential for a similar incident occurring on YOUR jobsite, speak to a CSAM safety advisor. Call 204-775-3171 in Winnipeg or 204-728-3456 in Brandon.
