'It didn’t need to happen': calls from London based advocates for better construction safety
The trench collapse that killed two construction workers in Ajax earlier this week hit close to home for those in the London area affected by similar tragedies.
Now that incident has some calling for stricter regulations and closer adherence to safety guidelines.
“I don’t want to see any of these guys get hurt, I don’t want to see them not go home, or go to the hospital and spend 28 days,” said injured construction worker Jacob Hurl, who can’t help but worry for workers he observes at the construction site just outside his home in Lucan.
Hurl, now 23, nearly lost his life when in December of 2020 he was working at a construction site on Temple Terrace in London when part of a roof collapsed. He was trapped under concrete and construction rubble for several hours, and continues to recover from his injuries. Two fellow workers died in that incident.
So when he learned of the fatal trench collapse in Ajax, a flood of emotions came pouring back.
“It made me angry, I was shaking, I didn’t sleep,” said Hurl.
He said he’d like to see tighter regulations at job sites, including more frequent safety inspections, and wants existing safety guidelines to be followed more closely.
“It didn’t need to happen. We have equipment in the construction industry, safety equipment to protect these guys. Part of one of those things is like a trench box.”
Trench boxes, used to shore up trench walls, were at the scene in Ajax, but it’s not known if they were in place when the incident happened.
The trench collapse, which also injured two other workers, is under investigation by the Ministry of Labour.
Former Londoner, Shirley Hickman lost her son Tim Hickman in a workplace accident in London in 1996. She has since founded and serves as the executive director of organization to support victims’ families called Threads of Life. She said workplace safety is everyone’s responsibility.
“So the employer has the duty to train, and to ensure it’s a safe workplace. The workers have the responsibility to work with those safety guidelines, and to ensure that they’re working properly and safely, with the right equipment. And the courage to say ‘no’ and walk away. And that’s a huge step for people to say ‘this doesn’t feel safe, and we have to stop this until we make it safe.’”
According to the Ministry of Labour there were 22 construction deaths in Ontario in 2021, slightly better than 2020, when there were 23 such fatalities.
But for those left to pick up the pieces, even one is too many.
“It’s a long journey of grief and loss, and investigations that they’re going to be facing, so it’s always the families that come to my mind first,” said Hickman.
Hurl, meantime, is training to become a project manager at construction sites, so he can promote safety from the inside.
“It hurts, you know. It hurts to see someone not be able to go home.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Most of Canada to receive emergency alert test today
The federal government will test its capacity to issue emergency alerts today, with the exception of Ontario, where the test will take place on May 15.
OPINION What King Charles' schedule being too 'full' to accommodate son suggests about relationship with Prince Harry
Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has made headlines with his recent arrival in the U.K., this time to celebrate all things Invictus. But upon the prince landing in the U.K., we have already had confirmation that King Charles III won't have time to see his youngest son during his brief visit.
Ontario man devastated to learn $150,000 line of credit isn't insured after wife dies
An Ontario man found out that a line of credit he thought was insured actually isn't after his wife of 50 years died.
Boy Scouts of America is rebranding. Here's why they've changed their name
After more than a century, Boy Scouts of America is rebranding as Scouting America, another major shakeup for an organization that once proudly resisted change.
Trial begins for Winnipeg serial killer who claims he was mentally ill
The trial of a man who admits he killed four women in Winnipeg is set to begin Wednesday, and a law professor says lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have multiple hurdles to clear for a defence of mental illness.
These adults born in the '90s partnered with their parents to buy homes in Ontario
An Ontario woman said it would have been impossible to buy a house without her mother – an anecdote that animates the fact that over 17 per cent of Canadian homeowners born in the ‘90s own their property with their parents, according to a new report.
New Canadian study could be a lifesaver for thousands suffering from CTE
A first-of-its-kind Canadian research study is working towards a major medical breakthrough for a brain disorder, believed to be caused by repeated head injuries, that can only be detected after death.
Rape, terror and death at sea: How a boat carrying Rohingya children, women and men capsized
In March, Indonesian officials and local fishermen rescued 75 people from the overturned hull of a boat off the coast of Indonesia. Until now, little was known about why the boat capsized.
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.