A female construction worker who was undergoing on-the-job training died after falling from a ladder in August 2025 in Montreal, according to the CNESST.
In its recently published report, the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) notes that the worker had recently been hired by Toitures trois étoiles.
She was scheduled to participate in the roof repair at the Notre-Dame-des-Anges boarding school, a school building in Montreal, on August 5, 2025.
The worker had first prepared equipment and materials on the ground, under the supervision of a supervisor.
Next, to reach the roof, she had to climb a nine-metre ladder. The ladder was securely fastened to the roof, in accordance with regulations, the CNESST emphasizes in its report.
However, halfway up — at about four metres — the worker suffered a panic attack, felt unwell and told the employer’s representative who was with her.
The employer’s representative only had time to approach the base of the ladder and place his hands on the rungs to offer assistance. He saw the worker lose her footing and fall to the ground.
Emergency services were contacted immediately. The worker was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The CNESST states that the worker had indeed completed the general health and safety training for construction sites. Upon being hired, she had reviewed the documentation provided by the roofing company, including the summary of the prevention program covering, among other things, the safe use of ladders.
She had also received the personal protective equipment required by her employer and had signed the relevant documents.
The CNESST notes that a portable ladder is a means of access permitted by the Construction Work Safety Code, provided it meets the requirements. “However, compared to other means of access, such as a staircase, safety when using a ladder depends on the user maintaining a firm grip at all times.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
