Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development is launching an investigation into a concerning incident that took place at a construction site in downtown Toronto. Distressing videos, including one from the perspective of a worker, surfaced on social media, revealing a construction worker hanging high in the air from a crane load.
The video, shared widely online, shows the worker dangling from the crane, eliciting shocked reactions from witnesses. A voice off-camera can be heard exclaiming, “Oh my God, how the f–k did this happen?”
In response to the incident, PCL Constructors Canada Inc., the construction company responsible for the project, released a statement confirming the occurrence. According to their statement, the worker’s hand became entangled with a tagline while securing a load, resulting in his suspension from the crane. Fortunately, he was safely lowered to the work surface and did not sustain serious injuries. The worker, identified as a rigger employed by Modern Niagara, plays a crucial role in ensuring the secure fastening of materials before crane operations.
The incident took place at the development site located at the intersection of Front Street West and Simcoe Street in downtown Toronto. Modern Niagara is a contracted company involved in the project.
Notably, despite the gravity of the situation, neither Toronto police, firefighters, nor paramedics received any related emergency calls.
The Ministry of Labour was notified of the incident and dispatched an investigator to the site promptly. It was reported that the worker sustained injuries after becoming entangled with a crane tagline during load hooking.
This incident has raised concerns about safety protocols and procedures at the construction site. An ongoing investigation, in coordination with relevant authorities, aims to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the incident. It’s worth noting that this construction site had previously experienced a crane collapse into an adjacent building in July 2020, further emphasizing the importance of ensuring safety measures are rigorously followed in construction projects of this nature.