# Highrise fatality



## Canadian sparky (Sep 19, 2011)

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/0...to-his-death-off-yonge-gerrard-condo-complex/


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## Canadian sparky (Sep 19, 2011)

Always tie off!!!!!!!


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## MTW (Aug 28, 2013)

What a horrible way to die.


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

70th floor? Damn that's high up.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Thats too bad, 

The authorities should make scaffolding the outside of a building compulsory, that way you can only fall a maximum of about 1500mm as there is scaffhold deck every 2 metres on the outside of the building with hand rails and kick boards installed then the whole thing is wrapped in shade cloth or plastic wrap.


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

ever seen a scaffold collapse?


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

uconduit said:


> ever seen a scaffold collapse?


Not personally, they tend to fall over rather than collapse.


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## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

You want a 70 floor scaffold?


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Edrick said:


> You want a 70 floor scaffold?


They can be cantilevered out of floors as the build progresses.


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## Celtic (Nov 19, 2007)

chewy said:


> They can be cantilevered out of floors as the build progresses.


That is going to come with a phenomenal cost.

As a hi-rise's floor construction progresses upwards..lower floors exteriors are closed up...windows and such:









Your proposed plan would require scaffolding to be erected and dis-assembled constantly as windows are placed and other exterior surfaces installed - IF access can even be made due to the scaffold blocking the crane swing path.


A more practical solution is to simply tie off.
The iron workers erecting that steel have zero opportunities for scaffolding.
Solution?
Tie-off

These guys have less points to attach to than the average tradesman...just the steel...and manage to perform their task in a safe, productive and cost efficient manner manner.










The device keeping this man from "going in the hole" is a called a "beamer". It will slide across the beam as he walks it.
Costs about $250


If the case of a poured building, there are readily available options for working about an unprotected leading edge.










This type of concrete anchor strap costs about $6 and is disposable...you simply cut the ends off where wall/ceiling meet or just abandon it in place.


There are a variety of such devices that cost a hole lot less than expensive scaffolding.

http://simplifiedsafety.com/fall-protection-lifelines/


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## Going_Commando (Oct 1, 2011)

Celtic said:


> That is going to come with a phenomenal cost.
> 
> As a hi-rise's floor construction progresses upwards..lower floors exteriors are closed up...windows and such:
> 
> ...


He could also use a magnet on the beam to grip to his balls of steel for doing that work. :laughing:


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

Celtic said:


> That is going to come with a phenomenal cost.
> 
> As a hi-rise's floor construction progresses upwards..lower floors exteriors are closed up...windows and such:
> 
> ...


The tallest building I have worked on was only 29 stories though. Our tower cranes go up inside one of the lift shafts and there are bays it cant set stuff down on were you must tie off and can only get access with a height safety permit. The scaffold wrap is as much to protect the public in the streets below as it is to protect us. 

This is what it looks like, I'll take a photo of the apt job I'm going to next week also. 










We don't tie off in any case, in seismic re-strengthening scaffholders install guard rails into window and door spaces then anyone can go into the area. I've never had a harness on in 5 years.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

chewy said:


> I've never had a harness on in 5 years.


Are you not required to wear them in manlifts, etc either?


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

Maybe I'm spoiled, but after working around so much first-rate, industrial scaffolding, that 2nd-rate commercial crap just looks flimsy.


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## Cow (Jan 16, 2008)

uconduit said:


> Maybe I'm spoiled, but after working around so much first-rate, industrial scaffolding, that 2nd-rate commercial crap just looks flimsy.


You know, that makes me think I'm spoiled also, since I pretty much never have to work on scaffolding....:laughing:


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## Canadian sparky (Sep 19, 2011)

Here in Ontario it's LAW to be tied off in all scissor/man lifts etc...The fines are big if caught or usually the safety guy that walks around all day will just send u home for day....


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

Industrial scaffolding is so much nicer. Each and every vertical and horizontal piece (but not diagonal) is considered a 5000#+ rated tie-off.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

I only ever see guys tying off into knuckle booms but not scissor lifts. I don't get the rational behind being tied off into a lift?


We only have 2 types of scaffold here, the steel pipe kind and the cheap aluminum kits you buy from big box stores.


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

I think they should have replaced those towers with some that looked externally identical to the previous ones -- except perhaps taller.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

uconduit said:


> I think they should have replaced those towers with some that looked externally identical to the previous ones -- except perhaps taller.


Maybe in the stylization of a hand flipping the bird, :laughing:


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## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

FrunkSlammer said:


> 70th floor? Damn that's high up.


Actually it was the 68th floor. I was having lunch just a few floors below. Not sure why the reporters can't get the right info.



chewy said:


> Thats too bad,
> 
> The authorities should make scaffolding the outside of a building compulsory, that way you can only fall a maximum of about 1500mm as there is scaffhold deck every 2 metres on the outside of the building with hand rails and kick boards installed then the whole thing is wrapped in shade cloth or plastic wrap.


There used to be scaffolding on the side of the building (advertisement and to hold material) but it was only on one side of the job (not where he fell from). The forming company was moving a fly form from one floor to another when this happened.


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## Amish Electrician (Jan 2, 2010)

The gentleman failed to wear the proper PPE: http://www.time-tolose.com/uploads/posts/2012-05/1337544046_wingsuit-flying-03.jpg


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## TOOL_5150 (Aug 27, 2007)

Thats quite a fall, he had a few seconds to make peace with himself.


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## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

Canadian sparky said:


> Always tie off!!!!!!!


This accident came up at work. We regularly work on large transformers at heights, and use fall arrest daily. One of the guys I work with, got a bit more insight on the accident from his neighbour who is a safety consultant who was brought in as part of the ministry investigation. 

The individual in the accident WAS 100% tied off! He was using a harness attached to a retractable lanyard. The lanyard failed. The webbing of the lanyard was cut when they examined it after the fact. The retractable lanyard was designed to be used at 90 degrees above, however, he was working with it horizontally, not above his head. I was not there, not blaming anyone or anything, but this is what I have heard. 

According to the safety guy, to date, there are only 2 retractable lanyards available on the market in Ontario that are designed and will function reliably when not used overhead at 90 degrees. Needless to say we checked our retractable lanyards and they are only good for 90 degrees. The thought had never even crossed my mind until now, I have been using them incorrectly from the beginning


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## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

EB Electric said:


> ...................... Needless to say we checked our retractable lanyards and they are only good for 90 degrees. The thought had never even crossed my mind until now, I have been using them incorrectly from the beginning


there's a lesson there, and it doesn't just apply to that lanyard.


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## Big John (May 23, 2010)

wildleg said:


> there's a lesson there, and it doesn't just apply to that lanyard.


 No argument, but I bet that's news to a lot of people. I've been using retractables for years and I've never heard that they should be used differently when not anchored directly overhead.

We use Miller Scorpion and while they are suitable for horiztonal tie-off, these are the restrictions to be aware of:

https://www.millerfallprotection.com/pdfs/FAQ/TL%20009%20Horizontal%20Use%20of%20SRL.pdf

It seems like the main hazard is the risk of dragging the line across a hard-edge during a fall. The 90° bend reduces line strength by 50%.


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

this "not overhead" stuff sounds like the industry/government standards are to blame. these things should be effective for all situations they will likely find themselves in. They should not require the user to have to bury his nose in the instruction manual for 30 minutes to find that they are ineffective in some non-obvious, obscure way, and that using them would require above-average intelligence in order to avoid certain, almost unavoidable situations where they won't work.


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## BBQ (Nov 16, 2010)

uconduit said:


> this "not overhead" stuff sounds like the industry/government standards are to blame. these things should be effective for all situations they will likely find themselves in. They should not require the user to have to bury his nose in the instruction manual for 30 minutes to find that they are ineffective in some non-obvious, obscure way, and that using them would require above-average intelligence in order to avoid certain, almost unavoidable situations where they won't work.


Training is a part of all safety rules.


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

Using a non-horizontal-rated retractable lanyard makes as much sense as using a klein demolition screwdriver on energized circuits while wearing insulated gloves.

an insulated or regular screwdriver would be a better choice, so would using a retractable lanyard effective for horizontal use.


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## Michigan Master (Feb 25, 2013)

I saw a different article and it said "_the metal clasp that holds his harness in place broke_".

http://globalnews.ca/news/798316/man-falls-20-metres-from-building/


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## uconduit (Jun 6, 2012)

it may have been loose. a lot of people like to wear harnesses loose because it looks "fancy" or "cool" or "whatever". I expect to fall one of these days and as such I wear fall protection by dotting every "i" and crossing every "t".


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## Acadian9 (Jun 6, 2009)

EB Electric said:


> The individual in the accident WAS 100% tied off! He was using a harness attached to a retractable lanyard. The lanyard failed. The webbing of the lanyard was cut when they examined it after the fact. The retractable lanyard was designed to be used at 90 degrees above, however, he was working with it horizontally, not above his head. I was not there, not blaming anyone or anything, but this is what I have heard.


The lanyards are attached to metal anchors embedded in the concrete walls. The lanyards themselves are some sort of nylon (since replaced with metal) and with the sharp edge of the concrete, he didn't have much of a chance.


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## Michigan Master (Feb 25, 2013)

*Scaffolding in China*

These pictures are from Shanghai. Bamboo is very strong, but not too sure about their fastening methods (of course most of them weigh a lot less than us too).


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## btharmy (Jan 17, 2009)

Michigan Master said:


> These pictures are from Shanghai. Bamboo is very strong, but not too sure about their fastening methods (of course most of them weigh a lot less than us too).


How do you suppose the "engineer" determines the load capacity of the scaffold. Diameter of the Bamboo? How many wraps with the twine?


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## EB Electric (Feb 8, 2013)

btharmy said:


> How do you suppose the "engineer" determines the load capacity of the scaffold. Diameter of the Bamboo? How many wraps with the twine?


:laughing::laughing: "We use only good bail twine, good for 3 skinny boy. You go work now. " :thumbup:


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## FrunkSlammer (Aug 31, 2013)

From the back of the latest issue of Macleans magazine:


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