Incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy.
February 22, 2023
Incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy.
See additional summaries online.
PRIMARY RESOURCES
| Injury Type: Fractured ankle (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Oil or gas drilling | |
| Location: Northern B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023170090001 |
| Two workers were working over a cellar (area below ground level that surrounds well piping) of a drilling rig. The workers were using a 3×10 piece of lumber as an improvised work platform over an opening. The plank broke, and the workers fell into the opening. | |
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Logging road construction or maintenance / Integrated forest management | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023166960005 |
| A road grader backed into a pullout on the low side of a forest service road to allow a flatbed truck and trailer to pass. When the operator tried to move the grader forward, the engine stalled and the conventional brakes did not work. The grader rolled backward and its rear tires slipped over the edge of the bank before the operator was able to engage the emergency brakes. The equipment slid backwards down a steep timbered slope and came to rest about 60 metres down the bank. The equipment remained upright, and the operator was not injured. | |
MANUFACTURING
| Injury Type: Soft tissue injuries | |
| Core Activity: Baked goods manufacture | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023195030001 |
| A worker was performing maintenance on a bowl-dumping machine when one of their feet was caught between the load bar and the machine’s frame. | |
| Injury Type: Injury to finger | |
| Core Activity: Planing mill | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023174170005 |
| A worker was injured when they contacted an air-powered ram that they were repairing. | |
| Injury Type: Fatal (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Fish processing, fish reduction, or fish canning | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023190500002 |
| An operator was travelling in their lift truck to assist another operator with the retrieval of a piece of equipment for maintenance purposes. The travelling forklift went around the other operator’s parked lift truck and inadvertently struck the end of the entrance swing gate. The end of the gate entered between the mast and the front post of the overhead protection guard, striking the worker. The worker sustained fatal injuries. | |
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Sawmill | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023160850002 |
| A half-ton chain hoist failed while workers were hoisting a replacement band saw blade for the 10-inch canter. The below-the-hook lifting attachment (cradle) supporting the blade fell about 10 feet into the canter enclosure and onto the saw equipment below. No workers were in proximity to the saw cradle during the lift, and no injuries were reported. | |
CONSTRUCTION
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Crane operation | |
| Location: Northern B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023179460003 |
| A rough-terrain crane was supporting a metal sea-fastener (used to secure the load on board a ship). The sea-fastener was being manually cut with an oxyacetylene torch where it was connected to a natural gas plant module and the ship’s deck. As the worker finished cutting the sea-fastener, the crane tipped forward. The boom came to rest on the natural gas module and settled at an angle of about 45 degrees. No injuries were reported. | |
| Injury Type: Undetermined injuries | |
| Core Activity: Drywalling or acoustic board installation | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023170630001 |
| A worker was sanding drywall from a rolling scaffold system with no guardrails installed. The worker fell from a height of about 11 feet to the wood-frame floor below. | |
| Injury Type: Multiple fractures, internal injuries | |
| Core Activity: Low slope roofing | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023165410002 |
| While trying to install a tarp on the leaking, unguarded roof of a home, a worker fell about 30 feet to grade, which consisted of hard compacted gravel. | |
| Injury Type: Pain in lower body | |
| Core Activity: Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair / General trucking | |
| Location: Northern B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023194090004 |
| A worker was exiting the cab of an excavator when they slipped and fell. | |
| Injury Type: Concussion, fractures | |
| Core Activity: Low slope roofing | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023184470002 |
| A worker was accessing a second-storey townhome roof using a portable ladder positioned on a sloped carport roof. The ladder slipped out, and the worker fell about 18 feet to the ground. | |
| Injury Type: Fractured leg (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair | |
| Location: Northern B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023182060002 |
| A worker was struck by a crane access mat (support pad) that an excavator was about to load onto a truck. The worker who was struck was positioned near the back of the truck. Due to the position of the boom, the operator was unable to see where the worker was. When the excavator grabbed the mat to load it, the mat swung to one side, hitting the worker. | |
| Injury Type: Injuries to head (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Siding, awning, or gutter installation, service, or repair | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023194460001 |
| A worker acting as a spotter on the ground at a construction site was directing the operator of a forklift carrying two bundles of large scaffolding decks to a truck. When the forklift made abrupt movements, the load, which was not secured, shifted and fell on the spotter. | |
| Injury Type: Undetermined injuries | |
| Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023182130002 |
| At a highrise construction site, a portion of deck scaffolding fell from level 33 and landed on level 6 of a tower. When it landed, a connector piece shot out from the scaffolding and struck a worker. | |
| Injury Type: Fatal | |
| Core Activity: Plumbing, heating, vent, residential air conditioning, or central vacuum system installation or repair | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023167730001 |
| A worker was trying to cross a ramp spanning an elevator shaft when they fell 22 to 25 feet down the shaft to the concrete slab below.
View an audio slide show about a construction worker who fell off a stepladder and then through an opening in the floor. |
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| Injury Type: Multiple fractures, laceration | |
| Core Activity: Concrete placing, finishing, surfacing, or repair | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023158880001 |
| While conducting a work estimate, a worker fell about 14 feet down an inadequately covered elevator shaft. | |
| Injury Type: Sore back | |
| Core Activity: Laminate flooring installation / House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or renovation work | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023165370003 |
| A young worker was installing laminate flooring when they slipped and fell backward. | |
| Injury Type: Possible concussion | |
| Core Activity: Excavation, or private landfill or transfer station operation | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023157620001 |
| A gravel truck was dumping its load of material when the truck flipped onto the driver’s side. The driver was wearing their seat belt and was able to get out of the cab without assistance. | |
| Injury Type: Fractured vertebra | |
| Core Activity: Siding, awning, or gutter installation, service, or repair | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023196660001 |
| A worker was doing work related to siding installation without fall protection when they fell about 11 feet through a skylight opening to the level below. | |
| Injury Type: Multiple fractures | |
| Core Activity: Low slope roofing / House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or renovation work | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023173540001 |
| A worker installing roof shingles on a new residential building fell about 19 feet to grade. | |
| Injury Type: Undetermined injuries | |
| Core Activity: House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or renovation work / Structural metal product fabrication | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023165370002 |
| While assisting with the installation of a steel beam at a house, a worker fell 12 to 13 feet from the second level to the ground. | |
| Injury Type: Electric shock | |
| Core Activity: Fire and flood restoration | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023173670001 |
| A worker doing restoration work contacted an energized low-voltage (110-volt) line. | |
| Injury Type: Bruised, swollen foot | |
| Core Activity: Power pole, powerline, or transmission line installation, service, or repair | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2022-Dec | ID Number: 2023182130001 |
| While excavating a trench, an excavator backed over a worker’s foot. | |
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Snow or ice removal | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2022-Dec | ID Number: 2022194900057 |
| An all-terrain vehicle equipped with a snowplow struck a natural gas meter located in a narrow laneway at the rear of a commercial building. The impact resulted in the release of natural gas. The fire department and utility owner immediately responded, and the utility owner repaired the meter. | |
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Blasting | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2022-Dec | ID Number: 2022197990002 |
| During blasting work in preparation for residential construction, fly material escaped the blast site when two blasting mats were destabilized. An adjacent structure was damaged, but no injuries were reported. | |
TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSING
| Injury Type: Electric shock | |
| Core Activity: Barge, tug, or other water transport of goods | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023161530006 |
| A worker was refuelling an air compressor from a portable diesel fuel tank. The tank, which had a fuel pump, was plugged into a 110-volt generator. The worker received an electric shock when they tried to turn on the pump. | |
TRADE
| Injury Type: Amputated fingertips | |
| Core Activity: Supermarket | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023173970005 |
| As a worker was cutting a pork leg with a band saw, fingers on one of their hands contacted the saw. | |
| Injury Type: Exposure to carbon monoxide (16 workers) | |
| Core Activity: Furniture store | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023173970003 |
| For 3 to 4 hours, workers in a warehouse were exposed to carbon monoxide ranging from 16 to 20 ppm. The warehouse was evacuated, and the source of carbon monoxide was investigated. | |
| Injury Type: Injury to ankle | |
| Core Activity: Auto parts supply | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023189760001 |
| A worker in a warehouse was moving pallets with an electric rider jack truck (a stand-up reach truck) when the control head inadvertently became lodged under a steel storage racking shelf. The worker was partially thrown off the equipment, and one of their ankles was pinned under the rider jack truck. | |
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Steel or metal wholesale (primary form) | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2022-Dec | ID Number: 2022195020007 |
| A worker operating a lift truck in an area with ground traffic was exposed to a hazard of electrical energy when the mast of the lift truck contacted an energized 600-volt overhead power line. The power line and electrical components attached to the building were damaged, but no injuries were reported. | |
PUBLIC SECTOR
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Local government and related operations / Excavation operation | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023197990001 |
| During trenching work using a backhoe and vacuum truck, a gas line that was marked on drawings as decommissioned was exposed. Using the backhoe, a worker tugged on the gas line. The site supervisor immediately smelled gas, shut down the street, and called 911. While first responders were on site, a fire broke out at an adjacent apartment building. | |
SERVICE SECTOR
| Injury Type: Fatal (2 non-workers); Injuries to lower body (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Outdoor sport tour | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023160850003 |
| Two heli-skiers and the worker conducting their guided helicopter ski tour were caught in a size 2 avalanche. | |
| Injury Type: Possible fractured ankle | |
| Core Activity: Auto service or repair | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023186430001 |
| A worker was standing on a 6-foot stepladder inside a trailer, riveting the front panel of the trailer, when they fell. | |
| Injury Type: Pain, bruising | |
| Core Activity: Electric utilities | |
| Location: Northern B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023194890002 |
| A worker was climbing down a distribution pole using their secondary strap. The strap failed to hold and the worker fell 30 to 35 feet to the snow-covered ground. | |
| Injury Type: Close call | |
| Core Activity: Community health support services | |
| Location: Northern B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023177720002 |
| A worker was travelling for work purposes on a highway when their vehicle hit a patch of snow and/or ice, causing it to leave the highway. The vehicle landed on railroad tracks adjacent to the highway and the worker was unable to move the vehicle off the tracks. The worker was able to exit the vehicle safely before a train struck the vehicle on the tracks. | |
| Injury Type: Fatal | |
| Core Activity: Security or patrol services | |
| Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023171900002 |
| A night-shift worker whose task was to patrol the grounds of a workplace did not respond to the employer’s person-check. The worker was found injured at the bottom of a staircase. The worker succumbed to the injuries. | |
| Injury Type: Fractured leg (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Electric utilities | |
| Location: Interior B.C. | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023181730001 |
| A crew was decommissioning a section of power line. Hardware was being removed from each end of a power pole that was lying flat on the ground. An excavator with a grapple was being used to remove a stub on the bottom portion of the pole. A worker was standing about 5 feet away, at the top end of the pole. The excavator operator tried to roll the power pole at the bottom to remove the stub, causing the top end of the pole to swing and strike the worker. | |
| Injury Type: Head injury | |
| Core Activity: Window, gutter, or awning cleaning | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023197950001 |
| A self-employed person slipped and fell about 15 feet while cleaning a home’s cedar shake roof. | |
| Injury Type: Fractured rib (1 worker) | |
| Core Activity: Auto recycling | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023186390002 |
| Workers were taking down a building-like structure made of storage racking. The structure had a roof, passageways, and stairs and was about three storeys high. One of the workers was on a pathway when it gave way, and they fell 8 feet to the pavement below. | |
| Injury Type: Fractured ankle | |
| Core Activity: Restaurant or other dining establishment | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2023-Jan | ID Number: 2023178250001 |
| A worker was walking across the parking lot at a workplace to place an advertising sign near the entrance to the lot. The lot was covered by a thin layer of fresh snow. The worker slipped on a patch of ice under the snow and fell. | |
| Injury Type: Temporary loss of consciousness, fractured ribs | |
| Core Activity: Plastic laminating, packing, or packaging / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction | |
| Location: Lower Mainland | |
| Date of Incident: 2022-Nov | ID Number: 2022167730008 |
| During renovations of a building, a worker was on an unsecured extension ladder that was positioned on the roof to access another area. As the worker tried to secure themselves to a fall protection anchor point, the ladder kicked out, and the worker fell about 14 feet. | |
Source: worksafebc