WINDSOR -- A coroner’s jury has returned with ten recommendations, to make working in Ontario safer after the death of two Windsor workers.
The inquest focused on Rob Morneau, 44, who "tripped or fell backwards" through skylight on the roof of Ventra Plastics in November, 2016 and the death of Brian Izsak, 53, who fell through a skylight opening, on the roof of Goodlife Fitness in July 2016.
"My grandchildren, Rob's boys, they'd still have their dad if those implementations had been in place," said Denise Morneau, Rob's mother, after the inquest ended Thursday.
John Izsak, Brian's brother and a construction worker himself, is glad to have attended the inquest.
"It has made me have a whole new respect on sky lights, as I have been on roofs before and never thought of them as a hazard now I do and I will," said Izsak.
The jury of three women and two men submitted ten recommendations Thursday to Doctor David Egen, with the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario.
They are directed at the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing and the National Research Council of Canada.
To the Ministry of Labour:
1) To the Chief Prevention Officer - Working at Heights curriculum be revised to include a section on hazards related specifically to skylights
2) That Section 26, Item 6 be reworded to say "falling through an opening, including but not limited to skylights."
3) Policy implemented that a daily record of site orientation and safety instructions be kept by the Constructor and provided to the building/business owner. These records should be kept by the building/business owner and made available for future projects.
4) Add a regulation that if an opening is exposed, a human spotter is required until a secure cover is in place.
To the National Research Council of Canada:
1) National Building Code be amended to include a requirement that skylights through which person may fall shall be designed to be capable of withstanding a load of 2.4 kilonewtons per square metre; or be guarded by a standard skylight screen capable of withstanding a load of 2.4 kilonewtons per square metre; or be equipped with a fixed skylight railing on all exposed sides to a measurement of 36 to 42 inches high
2) National Building Code be amended to state that warning labels be added to skylights by the manufacturer
3) National Building Code be amended to require installing of permanent anchor points on any non-residential buildings, higher than 3 meters for use with personal fall protection systems.
To the Ministry of Municipal Affairs & Housing:
1) Ontario Building Code be amended to include a requirement that skylights through which person may fall shall be designed to be capable of withstanding a load of 2.4 kilonewtons per square metre; or be guarded by a standard skylight screen capable of withstanding a load of 2.4 kilonewtons per square metre; or be equipped with a fixed skylight railing on all exposed sides to a measurement of 36 to 42 inches high
2) Ontario Building Code be amended to state that warning labels be added to skylights by the manufacturer
3) Ontario Building Code be amended to require installing of permanent anchor points on any non-residential buildings, higher than 3 meters for use with personal fall protection systems.
The ministries and research council have six months to "respond" according to Coroner Dr. David Eden, who lead the inquest and accepted the recommendations in a Windsor courtroom
"They are not mandatory but they carry considerable moral weight," said Eden.
Janet Deline, spokeswoman for the Ministry of Labour tells CTV Windsor they give them serious and thoughtful review before responding back to the chief coroner.
The Morneau and Izsak families are both hopeful the recommendations are implemented.
"Hopefully no family ever has to endure what we have endured,” added Morneau.
