Too Experienced to Need Training?

A construction crew was preparing to pour concrete into forms. A laborer climbed a ladder on one side of a form and stepped over the form to stand on an unguarded scaffold on the opposite side. He was carrying two hand trowels and a brush to be used by other workers after the concrete was poured. He fell, striking his head on a concrete slab at ground level and receiving fatal injuries.

The standard guardrails that could have prevented this fall were missing from the platform, as were the toeboards. The unguarded scaffold should have been dismantled or effectively barricaded to prevent its use by any worker. The employer had decided no training was necessary and none was provided because the employee had previously worked for the company on several occasions and had been performing this type of work for 21 years. Safety training is vital for both new and experienced employees. Conditions change, people forget and they need reminders about safe work practices.