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BRANCH OPINION

TORONTO -- The Ministry of Labour has issued a warning to building owners and employers to ensure that the roofs of their buildings meet Ministry safety standards.

The warning was prompted by the collapse of roofs on four buildings and structural problems on three others in northern Ontario as a result of unusually heavy snowfalls this winter.

"We are advising building owners and employers to check their roofs for dangerous levels of snow accumulation or for signs of stress," Pat Coursey, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ministry's Operations Division, said. "If excessive snow or signs of stress are found, the owner or employer should have the snow safely removed right away."

There have been roof collapses at a department store in Thunder Bay, a mall and an industrial building in Sault Ste. Marie and an agricultural greenhouse in Wawa. None of the collapses resulted in injury. Structural faults due to heavy snow cover were also found in roofs at two schools in Wawa and a paper mill in Marathon.

Ms. Coursey warned that large accumulations of snow, especially wet snow combined with rain, can put tremendous stresses on a building's roof. Snow drifts around penthouses and rooftop equipment and along walls joining multi-level roofs can also result in structural stress.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires that building owners and employers ensure that roofs can support heavy snow loads without causing structural stress beyond the limits allowed by the Building Code Act.

The Act also requires that the removal of snow be done safely. This includes making sure that workers on the roofs are protected against falling and that areas where snow is being dumped from roofs are safe.

Building owners or employers should consult a civil or structural engineer to determine whether snow loads are excessive or structural stress has occurred.

For further information please contact your local Ministry of Labour office.