Widespread violations found in homebuilding industry

One-third of infractions involved lack of roof harnesses

Alberta's new minister in charge of employment says a province-wide shift is needed to make safety a top priority in every workplace.

His comments come after a month-long inspection blitz of homebuilders that found almost 400 unsafe practices, including dangerous walkways and entrances, lack of first aid equipment and improper scaffolding.

One-third of the infractions involved workers, such as roofers and framers, not wearing proper fall protection. Of 611 individual inspections of 387 employers, 83 stop-work orders were issued.

Human Services Minister Dave Hancock, whose responsibilities include employment and immigration, called the results "disappointing."

"Every order issued is an indication that a worker is at risk of being injured or killed," Hancock said at a press conference at a new housing development in Edmonton's southwest corner.

"And that should not be acceptable to any of us."

The blitz, which ran Sept. 12 to Oct. 11, was the third in a series of "focused" inspections by Occupational Health and Safety officers.

Hancock said the results show there is room for improvement in the province's inspection system. He said the province will bring the total number of health and safety officers to 132 by 2014, an increase from 102 last year.

"I want to know what more needs to be done and what can be done to ensure that a culture of workplace health and safety is as commonplace as expecting that our children will wear bicycle helmets when they're riding bicycles or that all of us will wear seatbelts when we're driving our cars."
'It's a hard sell' — Contractor

Some who work in the construction industry say it will be difficult to change unsafe work practices.

"It's a hard sell," electrical contractor John McEwan told CBC News.

McEwan said Alberta's ongoing building boom has put profit over safety.

"Time is money."

McEwan said he welcomed the addition of more safety officers.

"I've been working construction for over 30 years, I could count on one hand the number of times I've seen an occupational health and safety worker coming around checking."

NDP MLA Rachel Notley agreed that more enforcement will help, but wants employers to be fined for infractions.

"Employers have an obligation to ensure safety is adhered to."

Hancock said legislation is in the works to allow OHS officers to fine employers with unsafe workplaces on the spot. At the moment, officers can only issue orders to stop certain unsafe practices or to shut a workplace down.

The minister added that inspections will increasingly take place on evenings and weekends, to keep pace with after-hours construction activity.

"Nothing is more important than workers in this province being able to go home safely to their families."

Source: CBC News