An inquest into a scaffolding collapse that resulted in the
death of four construction workers is underway. The inquest into
the tragedy is aimed at improving worker health and safety and
preventing other tragedies from happening again.
Background
On Christmas Eve, 2009, seven workers boarded a swing stage to
conduct balcony repairs on a high-rise apartment in Toronto. A
swing stage, which is used to gain access to exterior balconies, is
a motorized platform that is suspended from the roof of a building.
The employer, Metron Construction Corporation
("Metron"), employed a 'fall arrest
system' to protect workers from the danger of a fall. The
system requires every worker on a swing stage to be attached to a
lifeline in case of a fall. On that day, there were only two
lifelines in place for the seven workers.
