Failure to Adjust Fall Arrest System Lifeline Costs Company $50,000

A worker was removing materials from a roof while using a fall arrest system with a safety line connected to an anchor point. When he moved to assist two co-workers at another part of the roof, he didn’t shorten the lifeline first. So his lifeline was slack while assisting the other roofers. A concrete slab broke underfoot, causing the worker to fall 14.3 meters before the fall arrest system engaged. He suffered serious leg injuries. The roofing company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the fall arrest system was arranged to prevent a worker from falling to hit the ground or an object below the work and was fined $50,000 [Lakehead Roofing & Metal Cladding Ltd., Govt. News Release, Sept. 25, 2013].