HALIFAX – A man in his 20s has died after falling six storeys at a construction site in Clayton Park.
Police were called to the site on Greenpark Close around 10:15 a.m. on Thursday where there is a building under construction.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His death comes on the same day a conference was held at the World Trade and Convention Centre in downtown Halifax aimed at improving workplace safety.
“I do not know the specifics of this accident, but I do know that these accidents are absolutely 100 per cent preventable,” said Brad Smith, the executive director of the Mainland Nova Scotia Building and Construction Trades Council.
Smith represents 11,000 workers in the building trades. He said with the equipment and safety regulations available today, workplace deaths are avoidable.
“We know that it takes $1 of investment to save $5 in an accident. So it’s a really good investment,” he said. “I guess one of the concerns is if the regulations aren’t being followed and enforcement is a key part of this, then somebody’s actually rolling the dice with somebody’s life.”
At a certain construction height, there are automatic safety protocols that must be followed. It’s unclear if those protocols were followed in this case.
“It’s fair to say to say that we will be investigating the fall protection section of the regulations to ensure that fall protection was in use in this instance,” said Scott Nauss of the Department of Labour.
On Oct. 11, a 25-year-old man was injured at the same site when he fell several metres from scaffolding.
Investigators from the Halifax Regional Police, the medical examiner and investigators from the Department of Labour are on scene.
A stop-work order has been issued until investigators determine workers will be safe.
The victim’s name has not been released.
With files from Natasha Pace
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