Slapstick comedy was a staple of entertainment for centuries before Mack Sennett, Charlie Chaplin, and the Three Stooges made their marks. It lives on today through the likes of Jim Carrey and Jackie Chan. Although pratfalls can draw some of the loudest laughs on stage or screen, any fall in a workplace setting is a great cause for concern.

The Association of Workers’ Compensation Boards of Canada (AWCBC) reported 12,255 lost time claims due to falls to a lower level in 2020, including 49 deaths. The economic impact on employers and the physical and personal trauma of injured workers makes fall protection a priority in the workplace.

Summarizing national, provincial, and territorial standards and regulations for working at heights, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety (CCOHS) notes that an employer must provide a fall-protection system if work is to be performed at a height of three (3) metres or more, or if the surface onto which the person might fall would present a greater risk of injury than a solid, flat surface.

The agency recommends a series of fall protection measures, including fixed barriers, travel restraint systems, and fall arrest systems. Many areas inside a facility require fall protection systems or equipment (e.g., mezzanines, docks, open pits, machinery); however, outside the building—the rooftop—is considered the most dangerous area.

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