|
January 26, 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.
|
Injury Type: Injuries to fingers
|
Core Activity: Plastic film extrusion and flexible packaging manufacture |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022161530021 |
A worker was running a flat-bottom bag machine. The worker was trying to clear the machine when the press closed on one of the worker's hands.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Concrete product manufacture / Ready-mix concrete manufacture and delivery |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022165830033 |
A steel-framed building used for storage (30 by 30 metres, 10 metres tall) had an accumulation of sand and snow on its roof. A worker arriving on site in the morning discovered that about a quarter of the roof had collapsed during the night.
|
|
Injury Type: Exposure to methanol
|
Core Activity: Oil or gas production |
Location: Northern B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022170090017 |
A worker was addressing an upset condition where there was moisture between two valves in a 2-inch line. The worker was adding methanol to the system to melt the frozen hydrate plug when the pressurized system released the hydrate plug, causing a spray of
methanol. The worker was wearing safety glasses but the methanol ran down their face.
|
|
Injury Type: Injuries to leg (1 worker)
|
Core Activity: Sawmill |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022189840019 |
A worker was performing maintenance on a ring debarker when another worker opened a pneumatic valve that activated the ring centring rolls, injuring the first worker.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Pulp and paper mill |
Location: B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022157440019 |
A recovery boiler released molten smelt into the smelt dissolving tank below, causing a rapid expansion of steam that resulted in damage to the building cladding and smelt dissolving tank. An emergency shutdown took place and workers were evacuated. No workers were injured.
|
|
Injury Type: Fatal
|
Core Activity: Cardboard or paper container manufacture |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022189840018 |
A worker was using a forklift to move pallets loaded with cardboard that were stacked about 25 feet high. The loaded pallets became unstable and fell, fatally injuring the worker.
|
|
Injury Type: Exposure to H2S (1 worker)
|
Core Activity: Oil refining or recycling |
Location: Northern B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Oct |
ID Number: 2023194080001 |
During a turnaround at an oil refinery, a worker was sent to unbolt a pipe flange. The worker began to unbolt a pipe flange on a vessel adjacent to the one intended. The vessel the worker unbolted was in service and under pressure. This resulted in a large release of crude oil and associated vapours. All workers were evacuated. One worker who responded to the release was injured.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Crane operation / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction |
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan |
ID Number: 2023171900001 |
As a knuckle boom crane rotated over one of its outriggers, the outrigger sunk into the ground about 3 feet, and the crane became unstable. Two of the four outriggers were not resting on pads or cribbing.
|
|
Injury Type: Fatal
|
Core Activity: Insulation work or fireproofing / Public school district |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan |
ID Number: 2023173920001 |
A worker was found lying next to a stepladder. The worker had been installing insulation in a suspended ceiling. The worker succumbed to their injuries.
|
|
Injury Type: Injuries to head, strained shoulder
|
Core Activity: Window or glass installation, replacement, or repair |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan |
ID Number: 2023166710002 |
A worker accessed a steeply sloped metal roof to investigate a skylight leak. The worker lost footing on the roof surface and slid on their feet to a flat section of roof below (about 5 feet wide). The worker regained traction on the flat roof but was carried off the roof by momentum and fell about 10 feet to a concrete sidewalk.
|
|
Injury Type: Burns (2 workers)
|
Core Activity: Plumbing repair / Acute care |
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022170630010 |
Two workers were trying to repair a leak in a cast-iron coupling on an overhead 4-inch hot water supply line. The workers were tightening the coupling bolts and checking to see if the leak had stopped. Upon inspection, the workers noticed the water still dripping from the coupling and started to tighten the bolts. The coupling failed and the joint in the pipe separated, allowing hot water and steam to escape.
|
|
Injury Type: Fatal
|
Core Activity: Electrical work |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022165410030 |
A worker who was working alone was found unresponsive at the base of a 6-foot fibreglass stepladder.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Crane operation / Structural concrete forming |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022181740015 |
As a tower crane was being operated for a critical lift, the bridal chains contacted an energized high-voltage line (12.5 kV), causing a surge and power disruption to nearby properties.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Concrete placing / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022182130020 |
While concrete was being poured on the ground level, a free-form area of about 10 by 10 feet partially collapsed. The area was immediately secured, and no injuries were reported.
|
|
Injury Type: Fractures in lower body
|
Core Activity: House or other wood frame contracting, construction, or renovation work |
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022161740080 |
During demolition of a 4.9 by 4.9 m (16 x 16 feet) flat roof of a cabin, a worker fell 3.7 m (12 feet) from the leading edge of the roof to uneven ground.
|
|
Injury Type: Multiple fractures (1 worker); Laceration (1 worker)
|
Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction / Public sector |
Location: Northern B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022124120125 |
During an inspection of a four-storey, wood-frame project, a stairway collapsed with two workers on it. One of the workers fell onto a lower stairway and then onto the concrete floor.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Excavation operation / Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential contracting or construction |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022181570002 |
A mini-excavator was widening an existing excavation when it struck a 2-inch, 60 psi gas main, causing a sudden release of natural gas. The worksite was evacuated. The fire department attended, and the utility owner repaired the line.
|
|
Injury Type: Injury to back
|
Core Activity: Electrical work |
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022186470018 |
An electrician was working in a mechanical room, completing wiring on an HVAC system. The electrician was on a stepladder when they fell about 9 feet to flat concrete below.
|
|
Injury Type: Electrical burns, injuries to upper body
|
Core Activity: Low slope roofing |
Location: Northern B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022179460068 |
A worker was replacing an existing roof drain and downpipe from the underside of a roof inside a commercial building. The worker was working from a 10-foot stepladder when their arm inadvertently contacted a 13.2 kV overhead aluminum busbar. The worker sustained an electrical shock and fell from the ladder to the concrete floor.
|
|
Injury Type: Lacerated finger
|
Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional or highrise residential contracting or construction |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022155400011 |
A worker was cutting a piece of lumber vertically (downward) using a circular saw. The piece of lumber was not secured and the worker was holding the blade guard open when the saw kicked back.
|
|
Injury Type: Multiple fractures
|
Core Activity: Structural concrete forming |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Nov |
ID Number: 2022163750005 |
At a construction site, a worker fell 14.5 feet through an opening in the floor.
View an audio slide show about a construction worker who fell off a stepladder and then through an opening in the floor.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Excavation operation |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Nov |
ID Number: 2022163710013 |
Shoring was being installed in an excavation. Workers were using heavy equipment to install structures (metal plates) along the shoring. There was a 25 kV conductor 3 feet below the shoring. As a loader with a bucket was lifting the bucket off a metal plate after pushing it down above the shoring, the metal plate fell over and onto the conductor, causing the main breaker for the line to trip. The utility provider attended to repair the damage before work resumed.
|
|
Injury Type: Burns (1 worker)
|
Core Activity: Waterproofing / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential general contracting or construction |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Sep |
ID Number: 2022173520001 |
A worker was applying a waterproofing membrane to the interior of a concrete reservoir for a water feature. The reservoir was inside the mechanical room in an underground parkade. When the worker began to use a handheld propane torch as part of applying membrane, the worker's clothing ignited. Workers in the area assisted in dousing the flames.
|
|
TRANSPORTATION AND WAREHOUSING
|
|
Injury Type: Injury to foot
|
Core Activity: Distribution centre |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022163270008 |
A young worker's foot was caught between mobile equipment and a loaded pallet.
|
|
Injury Type: Soft tissue injuries
|
Core Activity: Recycling depot |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022163270009 |
A worker fell from a step.
|
|
Injury Type: Fracture in lower body
|
Core Activity: Commercial bus, shuttle operations, or public transit |
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022155270019 |
A worker was descending a flight of stairs when they lost their balance and fell down the last three steps.
|
|
Injury Type: Suspected fracture to leg
|
Core Activity: General trucking |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022170660009 |
While moving a unitized pallet with a manual hydraulic pallet jack, a worker slipped on the wood floor inside the trailer and fell backward. The handle of the pallet jack swung down and struck one of the worker's legs.
|
|
Injury Type: Lacerations
|
Core Activity: Chip hauling / Sawmill |
Location: Northern B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022170090016 |
In preparation for loading the trailers of a chip truck, a worker had to open the tarps. As the worker tried to open the tarps, they were struck by a piece of ice.
|
|
Injury Type: Exposure to chlorine gas
|
Core Activity: Chemical wholesale |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022178710021 |
As a worker was vacuuming residual chlorine gas from a 55-pound compressed gas cylinder, the suction was shut off. The worker disconnected the suction line from the emptied compressed gas cylinder and was exposed to an unknown concentration of chlorine gas.
|
|
Injury Type: Multiple injuries
|
Core Activity: Food, beverage, or tobacco product wholesale |
Location: Northern B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022182060095 |
A worker was grinding meat using an automatic meat mixer-grinder. The worker opened the top safety cover and one of their hands was caught in the rotating mixing paddle. Emergency personnel had to cut and remove the mixing paddle to release the worker's arm.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Local government and related operations |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022173970020 |
As a diesel generator was being testing, a smouldering fire occurred. About 10 workers were exposed to smoke by-products that entered parts of the workplace. The building was evacuated. None of the workers reported to first aid.
|
|
Injury Type: Laceration to leg
|
Core Activity: Landscaping, lawn or garden maintenance, or weed control |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan |
ID Number: 2023189840001 |
As a young worker was polishing a slab of wood using an angle grinder equipped with a polishing disc, the grinder kicked back.
|
|
Injury Type: Laceration
|
Core Activity: Structural repair of marine pleasure craft |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan |
ID Number: 2023186390001 |
A worker was under a vessel operating an angle grinder when they were struck by the grinder.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Structural repair of marine pleasure craft |
Location: Interior B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2023160850001 |
A storage building (50 feet wide by 200 feet long) collapsed when about 14 inches of snow accumulation on the roof released on the north side but not on the south side of the building. There were no workers inside or adjacent to the building when it collapsed.
|
|
Injury Type: Close call
|
Core Activity: Pile driving or dredging |
Location: Lower Mainland |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022155400012 |
A crawler crane with a 150-foot boom was set up on a large base of swamp pads. The crane lifted a hydraulic pile-driving hammer and leads weighing 60 tons. The crane was walking the suspended load over to a test pile that had been driven into the ground about 6 weeks earlier. The ground under the swamp pads failed, causing the pads at the front of the crawler crane to sink into the ground and the rear of the crane to rise 4 feet. The load was set down and the crane walked back from the sunken area to a stable area on the swamp pads. No one was injured.
|
|
Injury Type: Fractured leg
|
Core Activity: Security or patrol services |
Location: Interior B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec |
ID Number: 2022194070017 |
A worker had just finished their shift and was walking to their personal vehicle. They were in a marked crosswalk when they slipped on ice and fell to the ground.
|
|
Injury Type: Laceration, contusions
|
Core Activity: Counselling or social services |
Location: Interior B.C. |
Date of Incident: 2022-Nov |
ID Number: 2022160530011 |
A worker lost balance and fell down an interior staircase consisting of 22 steps.
|
 |
