No harness on fallen roofer

A Penticton roofer that fell to his death last year was not wearing a harness and was not properly supervised, according to a WorkSafeBC investigation. 

David Hartland, 59, died while working alone on a home in the Sendero Canyon subdivision on March 25, 2018, leaving behind a teenage son and wife with ALS. 

The investigation report released this week states Hartland fell from a height of about four metres, sometime between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on a Sunday when the site was devoid of other workers. Family told Castanet he had been working extra hours whenever he could so he could care for his wife.

A superintendent toured the site at 3 p.m. that day and observed Hartland with a safety harness on, but another witness spotted him multiple times shortly afterwards without one. That witness would later find Hartland unresponsive around 7:30 p.m., after the witness went to check on the dark construction site that still had music playing loudly. 

“Although appropriate fall protection equipment was available at the worksite, the roofer failed to use the required equipment to mitigate the risk of falling,” the report said, adding the toe-holds on the roof were constructed improperly. 

The report also highlights the lack of supervision as a contributing factor to the death. Hartland’s employer, SIS Roofing, had a policy for working alone at height that required hourly check-ins — a policy WorkSafeBC found wasn’t enforced.

The incident’s third contributing factor is heavily redacted, but makes reference to sections of the Workers Compensation Act that prohibit alcohol impairment.

WorkSafeBC issued a pair of violations to SIS Roofing for “failure to ensure the health and safety of the roofer” and failing to ensure proper toe-holds were installed. Sendero Canyon Homes received a violation for failing to maintain safe work procedures on the weekends. 

“The effectiveness of enforcement of health and safety policies was lacking, and it was not clear how trades were expected to notify the prime contractor about weekend work,” the report said.

It’s not known if any monetary penalties will be issued for the death.