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WorkSafeBC

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This page contains summaries of Notice of Incident (NI) reports received by WorkSafeBC. This information may help you to prevent similar accidents in your workplace.

THE NI INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Some details have been edited to protect the privacy of workers involved.

Completed WorkSafeBC investigation reports for selected incidents are available online, sorted by industry sector.

All Sectors - Incident Summaries

All Sectors | Construction | Manufacturing | Primary Resources | Public Sector | Service Sector | Trade | Transportation & Warehousing | Young Worker

All Sectors incident summaries from other dates

Most recent incidents (updated March 11, 2010)

Injury Type : Injury to knee  
Core Activity : Seismic surveying
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490030
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A worker was adjusting the antenna on the GPS unit of the survey tools when he slipped on a snow-covered log.
Injury Type : Burns; possible inhalation injury  
Core Activity : Heavy equipment/machinery servicing and repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010109910035
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker using a handheld drill with a half-inch bit inadvertently drilled into a compressed oxygen cylinder. A fire resulted from oxygen escaping the ruptured cylinder.
Injury Type : Sore back  
Core Activity : Food and beverage wholesale
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010158750040
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was manually unloading 40-pound bags of food from a shipping container. The bags became unstable and fell onto the worker, partially engulfing him.
Injury Type : Suspected compression of lower vertebrae  
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010124710082
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker fell about 11 feet from a window opening to the deck below when a guardrail failed as the worker applied pressure to it.
Injury Type : Fatal  
Core Activity : Log transporter
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010155610031
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

An off-highway log transporter left the roadway and struck a rock wall, then caught fire.
Injury Type : Lacerated fingers  
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010124710083
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A young worker was cutting the end off a 2x4 when his fingers contacted the saw blade.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker); undetermined injuries (worker)  
Core Activity : Meter reading
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010140970080
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A private motor vehicle crossed the centre line of a highway and collided with a commercial pickup truck.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Electrical utility ductwork installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010155070070
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A rubber-tired backhoe was installing new electrical utility services when it contacted an underground energized 12-kV conductor. Power in the area was disrupted but no one was injured.
Injury Type : Fractured spine  
Core Activity : Ski hill operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010137290050
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A young worker fell while snowboarding to the base of a ski hill at the end of the work shift.
Injury Type : Crush injury to leg  
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010136960065
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A faller had just completed bucking a 41-foot hemlock tree (24 inches in diameter at the cut) when it pivoted and rolled towards the faller, pinning his leg. The faller was able to cut himself free and seek assistance.
Injury Type : Fatal  
Core Activity : Marine container shipping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010117080054
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was operating the controls of a hydraulic loading ramp over the water when the ramp suddenly collapsed. The worker fell into the water and was later found by divers. (The operating controls are located on the ramp.)
Injury Type : Contusion to head, back pain  
Core Activity : Masonry
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157520050
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker fell 10 feet to grade, striking the back of his head on a concrete sidewalk, when the steel frame scaffold he was using as a work platform toppled over.
Injury Type : Lacerated finger  
Core Activity : Woodworking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010147280047
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was operating a table saw equipped with a power feeder. The worker hand fed a piece of wood into the saw blade without putting the power feeder in position over the saw blade. The worker's finger contacted the blade.
See a slide show about safeguarding for woodworking equipment:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34503
Injury Type : Facial injuries  
Core Activity : Manual falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157600036
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A faller moved to a position about 12 feet along a planned escape route away from a tree he had just felled. A limb fell from an adjacent tree and struck the faller.
Injury Type : Broken leg and arm  
Core Activity : Wooden roof truss installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161480075
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker climbed onto a section of wooden roof trusses to cut the metal band holding 11 trusses together as a bundle. As the worker cut the band, the trusses kicked out, causing the worker to fall about 21 feet to the concrete floor below. The 36-feet-long trusses, weighing 2,600 pounds, also fell to the concrete, narrowly missing the worker.
Injury Type : Injuries to head, shoulder, ribs  
Core Activity : Drywall installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010161290127
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker fell about 11 feet from a second-level unguarded rolling scaffold to the floor.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace  
Core Activity : Hotel
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010138190057
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A person produced a knife while attempting to rob a hotel. Two non-workers disarmed the suspect and held him until police arrived.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Highway maintenance/avalanche control
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010111970036
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A manufactured fabric-roof storage shed collapsed under a snow load. No workers were in the structure at the time of the collapse.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Utility pole installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163640032
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A crew was installing a utility pole using a helicopter equipped with a long line. The pole contacted the adjacent 60-kV line, tripping the breaker on the live line.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries (2 workers)  
Core Activity : Plumbing and heating installation or repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010140710103
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A service van was trying to pass a slower vehicle on an icy road. The driver of the van lost control, and the van slid into a deep ditch and rolled over.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace  
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010137290049
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

As a worker was closing the store for the evening, an armed individual robbed the store.
Injury Type : Electric shock  
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010154970069
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A young worker was limbing a fir tree. A branch the worker cut off hung up. When the branch was freed, it contacted a 25-kV primary line and the worker received an electric shock.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Dairy product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161480072
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A 20-pound piece of concrete fell from a concrete ceiling, narrowly missing a worker. The structural rebar in the concrete appeared to be rusting out.
Injury Type : Strained neck muscles, chest contusion  
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010117670325
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker tripped and fell while carrying a steel pipe on his shoulder.
Injury Type : Crushed vertebra  
Core Activity : Gutter installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157560067
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker slid down a steep portion of a wet metal roof to a less steep portion of the roof, intending to stop at the lower roof. He continued over the edge and fell 19 feet to grade below.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Ship refit yard
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010093690045
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

The no. 2 engine (port/inboard) of a marine vessel was running at normal operating speed (500 rpm) during post-maintenance trials. A catastrophic oil pump failure and crankcase explosion occurred. Engine explosion panels released and dissipated the resulting shockwave. No workers were in the immediate vicinity at the time of the explosion.
Injury Type : Bruised leg  
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010155070061
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker fell about 13 feet from a roof overhang to grade.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Mechanical tree falling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010136960045
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A tree being felled with a feller-buncher landed on a 25-kV power line.
Injury Type : Injured wrist  
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160850094
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was standing on the top plate of an exterior wall, about 9 feet above the floor, while installing insulation-stops. The worker had stepped on a wet rafter to adjust his position when he slipped and lost his balance. The worker struck his hand on the rafter trying to prevent himself from falling. The worker was wearing a fall-arrest system.
Injury Type : Facial scratches, hearing problems  
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010113920034
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

While exposing a fully charged underground 2-inch natural gas line and a 4-inch main line (flowing at 60 psi), a tracked excavator struck the tie-in point. A worker was struck by flying debris. Gas flowed into the atmosphere for several hours before utility crews were able to make repairs.
Injury Type : Cuts, bruising  
Core Activity : Structural rebar work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010122700059
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was connected to an inner 30-foot rebar cage wired to a 60-foot outside cage. The attachment failed, pulling the worker downward into the caisson (a watertight chamber in which underwater construction work can be done).
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Pile driving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010160580036
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A mobile crane's hoist line deflector roller, mounted on the crane's lattice boom tip section about 75 feet above grade, became dislodged (unbolted) and fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Amputated fingers  
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165370042
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A young worker was cutting a 2x4 with a circular saw. The saw got caught and kicked back, contacting the worker's hand.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010131490045
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was operating a tracked log loader equipped with a boom to load short logs onto a log transporter. As a grapple load of logs was loaded onto the transporter, a section of the boom collapsed. The grappled logs struck the operator's cab, damaging the front guarding package and cab window.
Injury Type : Broken arm and leg  
Core Activity : Tree pruning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010152480041
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was pruning trees along a roadway using a tripod orchard ladder set up on concrete. A large branch that was being pruned fell onto the ladder, causing it to collapse and the worker to fall to the roadway.
Injury Type : Concussion  
Core Activity : Welding
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010154850011
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A young worker was welding on the transom of an 18-foot aluminum boat. The boat's gas tank was located under the deck. When the worker made two welds on the transom, there was an explosion. The worker was thrown back about 10 to 15 feet. The deck of the boat exploded upwards and hit the 25-foot-high ceiling.
Injury Type : Electric shock  
Core Activity : Concrete cutting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010117670327
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was wet cutting concrete with a gas-powered diamond saw when the saw contacted a live 347-volt circuit.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157520040
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

As an excavator was lifting a trench shoring cage out of a trench, the knuckle of its boom snagged communication lines above. The resulting tensioning of the communication lines caused the adjacent utility poles to sway and a high-voltage fuse, located three poles down the utility line, to blow.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010161750030
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A loaded log transporter overturned on a corner. Its load was scattered onto the highway and over a steep bank.
Injury Type : Bruising and abrasions  
Core Activity : Food delivery
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156240049
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was sent to deliver pizza to a residential address. Upon arrival at the address, the driver was threatened at gunpoint, tied up, and robbed of cash. The driver was located by a co-worker after the store manager noted that the driver had not checked in.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010112850036
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A loaded logging truck was struck from behind by a passenger vehicle travelling in the same direction at about 60 km/h.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Boom crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165810050
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

While unloading trusses, the boom of a crane, which was extended 63 feet, contacted an energized 14.4-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Abdominal injuries  
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161770033
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

While framing a house, a worker fell about 14 feet through an unguarded stairwell opening and landed on the compacted gravel floor below.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010112850042
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A loaded logging truck was entering the main haul road (from a secondary haul road) at the same time an empty logging truck was passing. The loaded truck was unable to stop at the intersection prior to entering onto the main haul road and collided with the empty truck. Neither driver was injured.
Injury Type : Laceration and puncture injuries to fingers  
Core Activity : Meat cutting and packing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010145570021
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker's hand contacted the energized blades of a meat tenderizer. The interlocked safety cover was not functioning and the worker's gloved hand was drawn into the counter-rotating blades.
See a slide show about a similar incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=35794
Injury Type : Broken leg  
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156160032
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A hand faller was trying to push (domino) two previously cut and limb-tied trees with another tree. One of the limb-tied trees broke off and struck the faller.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist, undetermined injuries  
Core Activity : Low slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010154960065
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was standing on a temporary plywood cover over a roof hatch when the cover unexpectedly released. The worker fell 12 feet to the concrete floor below.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Tug and barge operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010122700042
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A tug capsized while towing a 228-foot material barge by a short stay. The tug was held suspended underwater by the stays.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Tug and barge operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161530018
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

While towing a barge, a tug boat experienced difficulties with its abort procedure, designed to free sufficient cable from the towing winch to prevent a tug from capsizing when pulled sideways by the load. The barge subsequently struck the tug, causing the tug to capsize.
Injury Type : Fractured leg  
Core Activity : Forest management services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156160031
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

Two workers were on a snow machine built for 2-up riding. When the sled slipped off the hard-pack trail onto softer snow, one worker's foot dislodged from the running board and was snapped back against the hard-pack trail.
Injury Type : Injuries to head, neck, ribs, back  
Core Activity : Bulk water delivery
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010154930070
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A water truck went off a resource road and rolled onto its side in a ditch. The driver was injured by materials in the cab and was further injured while leaving the truck.
Injury Type : Lacerated arm  
Core Activity : Recycling services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010129160956
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was attempting to adjust a conveyor that was not locked out. The worker's coverall sleeve became caught in the conveyor belt, which pulled his arm into contact with the tail pulley of the conveyor.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip  
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010128230062
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A traffic control person (TCP) was holding a traffic control sign while another worker was lowering it. When the sign came down, the hinge closed on the TCP's finger.
Injury Type : Concussion, shoulder injury  
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010165880051
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A young worker was standing on the first-floor joists of a home under construction while a truck-mounted crane placed four bundles of plywood, each weighing about 700 kilograms, on the exposed joists. The final load being placed tipped over, causing the joists to fail. The worker and the delivered material fell 12 feet to the basement floor.
Injury Type : Bruising  
Core Activity : Decking application or waterproofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010128230046
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker tripped on the curb of a 14th-floor patio and fell over the edge. The worker's fall was arrested by his personal fall protection system and he was rescued by workers at the site.
Injury Type : Fractured arm, back pain  
Core Activity : Retail outlet
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163730035
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker lost balance and fell from a 5-foot stepladder.
Injury Type : Bruised back  
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010163790016
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

During blasting of a pad site for a wind turbine tower, flyrock struck a worker 212 metres away.
Injury Type : Fatal  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010143950033
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A logging truck was parked on the landing of a forestry operation. While waiting for the truck to be loaded, the driver worked underneath the rear of the truck. The truck rolled and dragged the driver about 20 metres, then rolled over him.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Waste disposal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157450017
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A tractor with 32-foot tri-axle trailer was dumping a load of wood waste (46,420 kilograms) at a landfill site when it became unstable and rolled onto its side. The operator was not injured.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156240031
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

An excavator was travelling with a load when it contacted a communication cable attached to a utility pole. The tension caused the pole to break at the base, and the 14.4-kV power line on the pole fell across the machine. The operator remained in the excavator until the power company de-energized the line.
Injury Type : Loss of consciousness, bruising  
Core Activity : Gas station
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010157440061
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A robbery occurred prior to the doors being locked for late-night operations. A worker was attacked, choked, dragged to a back room, and tied up with duct tape.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010113820038
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A 4,600-pound blind flange was being removed from a penstock pipe end. The flange was being supported by a tower crane. The weight of the flange was overestimated and the overestimated weight was passed on to the rigger and tower crane operator. As a result, the crane operator applied too much line pull, and when the flange released, it sprang up and shock loaded the crane.
Injury Type : Neck pain, headache  
Core Activity : Forklift operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010146170015
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A forklift was transporting a pallet jack. The operator stopped the forklift and exited the cab to unload the pallet jack. As the pallet jack was unloaded, the lift truck rolled backwards about 4 metres and struck a second lift truck and its operator.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Utility pole relocation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010159110028
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

Workers were splicing a section of conductor into the A phase of a transmission line as part of a utility pole relocation. A live line puller/hoist was being used to pull the conductor into the splicing sleeve. The web on the puller broke, allowing the A phase conductor on the transmission line to drop onto the C phase of a lower conductor. The contact resulted in a power loss to about 2,000 residences.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Log towing and booming
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010113820032
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

Two workers were aboard a 38-foot tug, towing boomsticks, when there was an explosion and fire in the engine room. The crew extinguished the fire, but the vessel was disabled.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Resort operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010129920038
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A maintenance worker inadvertently added 1 to 2 litres of hydrochloric acid (30-33 percent w/w) to 4 to 5 litres of sodium hypochlorite (10.8 percent w/w) in a 250-litre container. The resulting chlorine gas caused evacuation of the pool area, an emergency response by the fire department, and attendance by the region's hazardous materials response team.
Injury Type : Fatal  
Core Activity : Interior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010158880016
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was on top of a rolling scaffold when one of its wheels fell into an unguarded floor opening. The scaffold toppled over and the worker fell 15 feet.
Injury Type : Broken legs  
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157560030
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker fell 12 feet from an extension ladder while installing a residential window.
Injury Type : Shoulder injury, soft-tissue injury to neck (1 worker); fractured shoulder, back pain (1 worker)  
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010112850019
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

Workers were stripping old pine shakes off a residential roof with a pitch of 7:12. One worker slipped. A second worker attempted to grab and stop the first worker from falling. Both workers slid off the roof and fell to the concrete walkway below (about 16 feet). Neither worker was wearing fall protection.
Injury Type : Fractured facial bones  
Core Activity : Tug operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161530005
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

While handling a broken towing bridle at the stern of a tug, a worker was struck in the face by debris.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010157440042
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

During maintenance, the hydraulic boom of a 50-ton crane was extended and then turned to the right. The crane's outriggers were not extended and the weight of the boom caused the crane to tip onto its side.
Injury Type : Pain in one side of body (neck, back, arm, shoulder)  
Core Activity : Courier and delivery service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010166930028
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A courier was driving to a depot to ship mail when a pickup truck broadsided the driver's side of the vehicle.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist, sprained ankle  
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010165870059
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker applying paper to the roof of a residential home slipped and fell about 25 feet to the ground. The worker was tied off at the time but there was too much slack in the lifeline.
Injury Type : Lacerated leg  
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010128220015
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A young worker's leg became trapped under a moving motorized pallet jack (walkie/rider).
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace  
Core Activity : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010116270019
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A person with a knife attempted to rob a convenience store at 2:30 in the morning. Three workers were in the store at the time of the incident.
Injury Type : Lacerations, bruising  
Core Activity : Retreading tires
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010147230003
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was retreading tires on a semi-trailer when it rolled forward off the hydraulic jacks that were lifting the rear of the truck. Blocking had just been removed from the front tires of the truck, which was running. The truck frame struck the worker, knocked him to the floor, and then rolled forward against him.
Injury Type : Burns to upper body  
Core Activity : Pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2010163050022
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

An operator was dumping a trap on the quaternary screen unit when the flange ring failed. The face flange separated from the pipe nozzle at the weld zone, spraying a worker with hot filtrate.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Pile driving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010160580017
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

The boom of a 300-ton crawler crane collapsed while hoisting a 100,000-pound load. The 190-foot-long lattice boom failed catastrophically, falling onto equipment and piling below.
Injury Type : Broken facial bones  
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010129160938
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

Two workers were removing a conveyor that was secured by a chain hoist. When the conveyor broke loose, one end rose suddenly and struck one of the workers.
Injury Type : Exposure to unknown airborne substance (5 workers)  
Core Activity : Unloading refuse into landfill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010163100022
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A driver unloading a B-train of refuse experienced coughing and dry heaving after opening the doors of the trailer and dumping the load. A short time later, two workers cleaning the tipper area experienced coughing. After the trailer was delivered to the yard, two workers cleaning it also experienced coughing. The workers reported to first aid. The content of the load that caused the health reaction was not identified.
Injury Type : Fractured leg, ribs  
Core Activity : Log loading
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010155980013
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A hemlock danger tree about 3 feet in diameter at the butt and 100 feet tall broke off near its bottom. The tree fell downhill and struck a worker on the deck of a log loader.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Installing power-generating turbine
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160850078
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A section of channel steel beam fell about 8 feet to grade upon removal of two C-clamps that were holding the beam in place. The worker involved was not familiar with the disassembly procedures for the equipment being dismantled and assumed the steel channel beam was tack welded in place.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010112840005
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

During excavation to prepare for work on a water main, a 6-inch high-pressure (275 psi) steel gas main was ruptured. Workers immediately evacuated the area and contacted emergency services. Roadway barriers were established about 1,200 feet from the rupture and kept in place until a shutoff valve could be installed to enable repairs.
Injury Type : Cuts, bruising  
Core Activity : Rock crushing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010113920001
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

While operating a rock crusher, a worker noticed a large rock moving out over the apron edge of the infeed hopper. The worker was moving to shut down the hopper when a 250-pound rock fell out of it and knocked him to the ground.
Injury Type : Minor laceration to scalp  
Core Activity : Power-generating turbine installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160850079
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A jig used to position a hydraulic ram, to facilitate the alignment and placement of a wear ring, popped out and struck a worker. The worker was wearing head protection so sustained only a minor injury.
Injury Type : Bruising, muscle strain, pain  
Core Activity : Ski resort operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010112850012
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Exiting the ski patrol shack, a worker slipped on the stairs and fell.
Injury Type : Amputated fingers  
Core Activity : Wood floor installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010140710075
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was cutting a piece of flooring lumber with an unguarded table saw. As the worker lowered the wood onto the blade to make an internal cut, the blade kicked back and caught his hand.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries  
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161950006
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A painter was standing on the framework of a structural steel canopy while using a roller to apply paint to the structural supports. The worker slipped and fell 11 feet 5 inches to the concrete sidewalk below.
Injury Type : Back and neck injuries  
Core Activity : Fruit packing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010161970016
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was using a forklift to load the container of a semi-trailer. The semi-trailer pulled away while the forklift operator was still loading. The forklift and worker fell about 4 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Wood pellet manufacturing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010111080001
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A wet sawdust reclaim conveyor stopped working when it became overloaded by chunks of ice. A cyclone continued to deliver wet sawdust to the conveyor, causing the cyclone to plug. Workers checked the cyclone by hitting the sides with a hammer and determined that it was plugged. Shortly after the workers left the area an explosion occurred, damaging two cyclones and the dryer.
Injury Type : Compression fracture of vertebrae, soft-tissue damage  
Core Activity : Ranching
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010130750051
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was standing on a stack of hay bales about 15 feet off the ground. The worker was trying to remove a frozen tarp that was covering the bales when he slipped and fell to the frozen ground.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to arm, lower body bruising  
Core Activity : Auto body repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010157440067
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker drove a van into an auto body repair shop, then exited the vehicle, thinking that it was in park. The van was actually in reverse and started to back up. The worker tried to get back into the vehicle and stop it but became caught underneath it.
Injury Type : Carbon monoxide exposure (5 workers)  
Core Activity : Recreation centre
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010166350011
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Two gasoline-powered pumps were used to drain the main swimming pool for annual maintenance. The pumps were located immediately inside the rear doors. After the pumps had been running for about 3 hours, a worker noticed a carbon monoxide detector in alarm in an office adjacent to the pool area. The facility was evacuated.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Power-generating turbine installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160850077
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A coupling clamp, which secured an end cap of a 4-inch-diameter cooling water pipe, failed at 50 psi during a planned 350 psi hydrostatic pressure test. The end cap was propelled vertically about 20 feet, contacting the ceiling before falling to the concrete floor. No workers were injured as the area had been cleared before testing began.
Injury Type : Head injury  
Core Activity : Residential health services
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010111080017
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was attacked by a resident with a mental disability while driving the resident to a medical appointment.
Injury Type : Partial amputation of leg  
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010120030032
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was unloading a pallet with an electric pallet jack. The worker was walking backwards when he tripped over a raised dock plate and the pallet jack ran over his foot.
Injury Type : Decompression illness  
Core Activity : Geoduck dive fishing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010139050003
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker harvesting geoduck clams experienced decompression illness. Hookah dive equipment (air supplied to one or more divers from an air compressor or tanks on the surface) was being used.
Injury Type : Skull fracture and laceration  
Core Activity : Hydroelectric dam
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010152480040
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A young worker was struck by a falling piece of rebar that had been left unsecured.
Injury Type : Strained neck, back, and hip  
Core Activity : Golf course maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010165870058
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was driving a utility vehicle towing a jet blower to the maintenance shed. The brakes failed coming around a curve with a steep incline. The worker jumped out of the vehicle and landed on a tee deck. The vehicle and blower came to rest about 70 feet below.
Injury Type : Injury to knee  
Core Activity : Seismic surveying
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490030
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A seismic surveyor was adjusting the antenna on the GPS unit of the survey tools when he slipped on a snow-covered log.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010154930072
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

During the inspection of a drilling rig, a fault was found in the draw works control system. This required a special inspection by the employer and immediate action by the employer. No workers were injured.
Injury Type : Dizzyness, nausea  
Core Activity : Oil or gas well servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490031
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

While conducting a well testing operation (preparing to clean a pressure tank), a worker was exposed to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490011
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

Workers on a drilling rig were checking a top drive unit (unit that turns the drill pipe during drilling) when power from the driller's control console was lost. The top drive dropped 3 metres in the drilling mast. No workers were injured.
Injury Type : Exposure to an unidentified hazardous substance
Core Activity : Waste management
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010125290007
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A loader operator at a transfer station experienced difficulties breathing shortly after a waste hauler emptied its load into the pit. The load contained hazardous materials.
Injury Type : Broken bones and crush injuries to leg, bruising
Core Activity : Loading lumber onto flatbed trailer
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010166520014
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

As a forklift backed around the rear of a flatbed truck in the early morning, it struck a worker. The worker was knocked to the ground and run over by the back wheel of the forklift.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Lumber yard
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010113830013
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was run over by a forklift.
Injury Type : Broken hip, fractured skull, internal injuries
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010156730021
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

An articulating boom crane was lifting precast concrete slabs into place. The crane operator inadvertently stepped off the suspended slab and fell head first 10.5 feet to the concrete slab at grade.
Injury Type : Crush injuries and lacerations to hand
Core Activity : Harvesting cable operations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156160013
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

As the operator of a forestry-equipped excavator entered the cab to start the machine, the heavy cab door swung shut on his hand.
Injury Type : Stab wound
Core Activity : Alcohol or drug treatment facility
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010163050009
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A resident stabbed a young worker in the neck with a kitchen knife.
Injury Type : Broken bones, fractured spine, concussion
Core Activity : Unloading goods
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163210003
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A young worker was unloading engineered lumber from a flatbed truck. The worker had loosened three of the four fibre belts used to secure the load. While working on the fourth belt, the worker was struck by a bundle of lumber that dislodged.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Safety training course
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124120008
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was participating in the field portion of an occupational ice safety technician course. Just before the final open-water crossing, the worker collapsed forward onto the ice and could not be revived.
Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Unloading goods
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010166520005
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was unloading goods from a 53-foot van trailer. The worker was attempting to manoeuvre large bales of insulation onto the forks of a forklift when his hands tore free of the plastic wrapping, causing him to fall backward off the end of the trailer.
Injury Type : Fractures, shoulder injury
Core Activity : Asphalt manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010110750018
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

Workers were dismantling a dust collection system from a platform about 35 feet above ground. The hopper had been removed and the diverter system (Y gate vane feeder), supported on a box beam, was being disconnected from the ducting. When the bolts that connected the ducting to the diverter were cut, the diverter tipped on the support beam and fell onto the worker. The worker was pinned between the 470-kg (1,034-pound) diverter and the platform guard rail. The injured worker was removed from the platform by the high-angle rescue crew of the local fire department.
Injury Type : Lacerations to legs
Core Activity : Cutting metal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163210001
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was cutting a metal table leg with a hand grinder from which the guard and handle had been removed. The worker lost grip of the grinder when it kicked back. The grinder disc struck the worker.
Read a hazard alert about a worker who was injured while using a handheld grinder without a guard:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34966
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010111970002
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

As a worker was cutting limbs from a cottonwood tree, one limb fell onto 14-kV conductors. The conductors swayed together, making a phase-to-phase contact.
Injury Type : Burned foot
Core Activity : Metal refining
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010111970003
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker stepped into a molten metal launder (trough). Molten metal spilled into the worker's boot.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Shrimp fishing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010112850007
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A 40-foot shrimp boat sank while at anchor in about 50 feet of water. No workers were on board at the time.
Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Residential social service facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010146170004
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was putting out garbage early in the morning when an intruder assaulted and rendered the worker unconscious.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Oilfield fluid hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010144250024
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was found unresponsive at the steering wheel of a tractor-trailer unit that had run off the road. The previous day the worker had been employed in an environment that required wearing an SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) to protect the worker from possible exposure to toxic substances. At the end of the day, the worker had reported feeling nauseated.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Industrial catering
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010158820022
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

At a camp for oil and gas workers, a cook was preparing food in a gas-fired oven. The oven unexpectedly flared up when opened, but the worker did not sustain serious injuries.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Trucking oilfield fluids
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010144250023
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A pickup truck was towing a mobile flare stack (a specialized, smaller, custom trailer carrying long sections of pipe). The trailer broke away from the truck and crossed the centre line of the highway. Sections of pipe struck and entered the cab of a tank truck (a large truck used to haul oilfield fluids), fatally injuring the driver.
Injury Type : Injuries to back, shoulder, leg 
Core Activity : Oil and gas exploration
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010165800038
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

As a worker was rigging up piping to attach to a wellhead, he was struck by an ice plug and pressurized fresh water that released from a frozen valve. The worker was propelled about 9 metres before striking a parked truck.

2009 October - December

Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Beer and wine store
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010143950001
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was in the back room of a beer and wine store when two individuals entered the store and went behind the counter. When the worker came into the front of the store, one individual pulled out a gun. The worker called to another worker (in the attached hotel) for help and the two individuals left the store. They were apprehended by police officers a short time later.
See a hazard alert about the risk of violence faced by retail workers:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009118870543
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A vacuum clamp was being used to handle exterior wall panels during installation. The vacuum clamp failed, and a panel fell more than 25 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Scaffolding rental and installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132635
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was dismantling scaffolding when the hook on a scaffold deck failed. The worker fell 6 feet to the concrete floor.
Injury Type : Possible injuries to head, neck, shoulder
Core Activity : CNC production tooling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165890229
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Two workers were moving a wheeled rack containing wooden patterns. One pattern (weighing about 300 pounds) caught on a piece of material, dislodged, and fell 1 foot onto one of the workers.
Injury Type : Serious head injury, fractured arms
Core Activity : Barn cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163210338
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was using a tractor to push manure out of the second storey of a chicken barn. The tractor fell from the door opening. The worker fell from the tractor and landed on pavement.
Injury Type : Hand injuries
Core Activity : Coffee shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410287
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A young worker was cleaning an espresso machine when one hand was caught in it.
Injury Type : Injured shoulders, neck
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450408
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A loaded log transporter failed to negotiate a turn. The log transporter rolled over and slid down a 30 percent embankment.
Injury Type : Burns to arms
Core Activity : Automotive repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010154900002
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

In preparation for removing a fuel pump, workers were draining a fuel tank. Some gasoline from the fuel tank spilled out and caught fire, burning a young worker. The fire may have been ignited by a nearby space heater.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas station and retail outlet
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155400223
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A lone individual robbed a gas station/retail outlet (of cash). No one at the site of the robbery was injured, but a police officer was injured when the police vehicle was rammed during the apprehension of the robber at the end of a surveillance pursuit more than 100 kilometres away.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750766
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An electrician qualified to work on low-voltage services was preparing to run wiring through a 4-inch-diameter conduit and found there was no string in place to pull the wire. A steel "fish" tape (used to pull wire) was pushed through about 65 feet of conduit. When the electrical vault was opened by electricians qualified to work on high-voltage services, the fish tape was found to be close to a 12-kV line.
Injury Type : Injury to foot
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157560013
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker fell from the roof of a single-family residence.
Injury Type : Cracked ribs, cuts, scrapes, bruises (1 worker); cuts, bruises (1 worker)
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100889
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

When the ladder in a ladder jack scaffold dislodged, two roofers slid down a steep cedar shake roof (pitch of 6:12) and fell to the ground (8 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Integrated forestry management
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156160010
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

The certified trailer hoist cable at a sawmill failed, causing a trailer to fall onto the rigging components of a logging truck tractor.
Injury Type : Chest injuries, fractured arm
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010155980004
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A loaded logging truck lost control on an icy road and struck a tree. The load of logs moved forward, crushing the truck's cab. The operator was ejected from the vehicle before the cab was crushed.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Janitorial services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010166860002
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was cleaning the premises of a business after hours. Two robbers tied up the worker, removed the safe, and left the premises. The worker got free and called police.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Hotel
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800132
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

During the night shift, a lone worker was approached by a robber who produced a firearm and demanded money. The money was provided and the robber left.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Industrial, commercial, or institutional construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820294
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

During excavation for the foundations of a new building, a 2-inch low-pressure gas line was struck. A "call before you dig" locate had been requested, and four of the five utility providers had responded (except for the gas utility provider). No workers were injured.
Injury Type : Injuries to hand
Core Activity : Non-alcoholic beverage manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010161970006
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was clearing a clogged bucket on energized equipment. The worker's hand got caught inside the bucket as it rotated.
Injury Type : Lacerations, bruising
Core Activity : Cabinet manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110469
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker wanted to check the finish on cabinet components in a tray in the automatic spray line machine. As he put his head over top of the tray, the tray moved upwards and pinned his head between the tray and the equipment frame.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108440401
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A fully extended rough-terrain zoom-boom forklift with a 15-foot truss boom attachment fell over while attempting to lift and relocate a 1,400-pound, 16-by-20-foot wall panel. The boom landed on and fell through the roof of the neighbouring house.
Injury Type : Broken arm
Core Activity : Erecting steel frames
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009117640615
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A crane was slinging metal roof trusses onto a site when the load line contacted a beam about 20 feet above the ground. The grouted anchors of a support column failed, and it fell and struck a second support frame, which also fell. A worker trying to escape the area was struck.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Beer and wine store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010158920002
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Two people entered a beer and wine store at night. One pointed a knife at the lone worker and demanded all the cash. The worker backed away from the counter and the robber tried to open the cash register. When this failed, the robbers took two bottles of wine and left.
Injury Type : Head and neck injuries 
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160929
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was feeding the planer (planer in-feed transfer) when a piece of lumber (105 mm X 105 mm) struck the back of his head.
Injury Type : Burn injuries (2 workers); smoke inhalation (1 worker) 
Core Activity : Maintenance of switch gear
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880515
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Two workers were burned when an explosion occurred in an underground electrical vault. A worker on the surface suffered smoke inhalation while trying to assess the condition of the two workers in the vault.
Injury Type : Crush injury to arm 
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960474
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A utility company's boom truck appeared to have a hydraulic problem near its stabilizer arm. As a backhoe operator assisted the boom truck operator, the stabilizer inadvertently moved and crushed the backhoe operator's arm.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Mechanized and manual falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920291
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A 12-inch hemlock tree struck the roof of a feller buncher. A manual faller had cut up and bypassed the tree along a handfall/feller buncher split line on a long line setting.
Injury Type : Bruised ribs, hypothermia 
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920287
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A shop truck drove off a gravel logging road and landed in a river. The driver escaped through a side window and sat on the tool box until fellow workers rescued him.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Correctional services
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120328
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An inmate set fire to a cell in the segregation area.
Injury Type : Injuries to back, chest, head 
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550254
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker fell about 9 feet from the top of the sidewalk hoarding.
Injury Type : Burns to hand and head 
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009157440343
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was changing fuses in a 3-phase switch using a screwdriver, without the main power being turned off. The worker crossed two of the phases (480 volts) with the screwdriver, causing a short in the system and an explosion and flash.
Injury Type : Minor smoke inhalation 
Core Activity : Gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800130
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A propane heater was being used to preheat the generator building on a drilling rig. The heater was left unattended and the generator building caught fire. While trying to extinguish the fire, one worker sustained minor smoke inhalation.
Injury Type : Shoulder injury, temporary loss of feeling in legs 
Core Activity : Replacing exterior siding
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480287
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

As a worker descended a scaffold, he slipped and fell at the 16-foot mark. The worker's fall was arrested by his fall protection equipment. He was lowered to the ground by emergency responders.
Injury Type : Serious head injury 
Core Activity : Window repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155070212
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was on an extension ladder repairing metal cladding on a window when he fell about 17 feet.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip 
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009136050168
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was pulling on a drive belt to reverse an unscrambler when his finger was caught between the drive belt and a pulley. (An unscrambler is a machine that maximizes the loading of boards by retrieving a single piece of wood from a pile and transferring it to a conveyor.)
Injury Type : Soft tissue injuries and soreness in upper body (2 workers); leg injuries (non-worker) 
Core Activity : Ambulance services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530421
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An ambulance was struck head-on by an oncoming private vehicle that crossed the centre line.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530419
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was using a backhoe to dig a trench for the installation of electrical service to a newly constructed home. To thaw the ground to make it easier to dig with the backhoe, the worker was operating a handheld propane torch. The flame from the torch melted a plastic natural gas supply line, igniting the natural gas.
Injury Type : Shock, undetermined injuries 
Core Activity : Drywall taping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770312
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was using stilts to do drywall taping on the ceiling of a single-family home. The worker fell onto a wooden subfloor.
Injury Type : Broken arm 
Core Activity : General construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410272
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker fell off a wood-framed scaffold and landed about 8 feet below.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520320
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An excavator was being moved from a residential excavation site in a cul-de-sac to a parked lowbed (for loading). As the excavator headed down the icy slope of the paved roadway, it started to slide and rotate. Its bucket struck a parked vehicle before the excavator collided with a retaining wall at the end of a driveway. The excavator operator jammed the bucket into the road to prevent the excavator from toppling over. The excavator came to rest with one track suspended 2 feet off the road surface.
Injury Type : Laceration to neck 
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920282
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A hand faller was carrying his chainsaw on his shoulder with the chain on the bar and the dogs unguarded when he slipped on the frozen ground. As he tried to throw the saw off his shoulder, the dog caught his backpack strap and pivoted the saw around. The bar and chain cut his neck.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Mechanized tree falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920280
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A feller buncher felled a 24-inch hemlock tree next to 25-kV power lines. The hemlock knocked over a 12-inch balsam tree whose top contacted the power lines.
Injury Type : Non-life-threatening injuries (1 worker, several non-workers) 
Core Activity : Bus line operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490412
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A bus carrying 24 passengers was travelling on a highway when the driver lost control of the vehicle. It crossed the centre line of the highway and continued into the opposing ditch, where it tipped onto its side.
Injury Type : Burns to head, arms 
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640248
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An electrician was pulling wires into a live breaker box (208-volt three phase) when the ground wire contacted the bus bar.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace 
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960459
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A person set himself on fire near the entrance of a hospital parkade adjacent to a construction site. Several construction workers were exposed to the traumatic event while assisting in extinguishing the fire. The fire victim was treated by emergency personnel but later succumbed to his injuries.
Injury Type : Injury to leg 
Core Activity : Newspaper printing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480325
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A reach truck struck a table, which in turn struck a worker.
Injury Type : Fractured arms, mild concussion 
Core Activity : General construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165560165
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Co-workers found a new worker lying unresponsive on a concrete slab next to a toppled ladder. The worker had been on the ladder nailing exterior sheathing material.
Injury Type : Blunt trauma injuries to back and arm 
Core Activity : Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030511
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was using a ladder to access a rooftop to work on a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The 14-foot fixed ladder, which had 6 inches of clearance between the rungs and the back wall, was frosty. The worker was climbing the ladder when he lost his grip on the ladder and fell about 6 feet.
Injury Type : Crushed hand 
Core Activity : Pile driving
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450393
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

The lead support line on a pile-driving crane became tangled with the top corner of the leads. As a worker was trying to untangle the lead line, his hand was crushed by the whip line ball.
Injury Type : Bruised leg 
Core Activity : Concrete manufacture and delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600257
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A truck-mounted crane was being used to tip a curb mould weighing 600 to 800 pounds. Only one hook of a steel alloy quadruple-leg sling was choked to the load (the three other hooks/legs were not being used). The hook came free (rolled out) and the mould fell about 3 feet, striking a worker's leg.
Injury Type : Serious crush injuries 
Core Activity : Manufacture of bridge beams
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410201
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A steel I-beam was standing upright on dunnage. The beam was 60 feet long, 3 feet high, and 1 foot wide, and weighed about 12,000 pounds. A worker lowered the chain bridle of a bridge crane, intending to rig the load. The worker bent down, reached under the beam, then mistakenly pushed the crane pendant's "Up" button. The open hook contacted the beam and caused it to fall over onto the worker.
Injury Type : Bruising from seat belt 
Core Activity : Log yarding
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157620256
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A grapple yarder was yarding logs with only one of two guylines deployed. The guyline cable broke, and the machine fell forward, landing on the side of the cab. The operator, who was wearing his seat belt, was not seriously injured.
Injury Type : Inhalation injuries from sulfur dioxide gas (5 workers) 
Core Activity : Metal manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970266
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Five workers were repairing a flue at a metal manufacturing plant. An over-pressurization of the flue exposed the workers to an unknown concentration of sulfur dioxide gas.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450391
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

The tipper hoist on a 50-foot chip truck failed while dumping two fully loaded chip trailers. The tipper hoist was being jogged to loosen frozen chips.
Injury Type : Fractured arm 
Core Activity : Portable wood chipping
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009157440334
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

As a young worker was trying to unjam a conveyor that was not locked out, his hand got caught between a conveyor belt and the tail drum.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Hand locating underground gas line
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950615
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A worker was hand digging to uncover an underground gas line (3/4 inch diameter) when the shovel inadvertently ruptured the gas line.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Scaffold engineering
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960449
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A 9-storey steel-frame scaffold with attached tarpaulin (scaff-net), attached to a condominium complex, started to move during high winds. Police blocked access to the area before most of the scaffolding collapsed into the adjacent roadway. No one was injured but one vehicle was damaged.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960451
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

The canopy of a 6-storey steel-frame scaffold, with attached tarpaulin, was exposed to high winds. About 180 feet of the tarpaulin and 2x4 strapping pulled free of the canopy and landed on the adjacent roadway. There were no reports of injuries or of damage to vehicles.
Injury Type : Fatal 
Core Activity : Cleaning gutters
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270318
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A self-employed unregistered worker was cleaning gutters on a 2-storey house. As he descended an aluminum extension ladder set up on a second-storey sundeck, he fell about 16 feet onto the asphalt driveway.
Injury Type : Laceration 
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009113820320
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An empty off-highway log hauling truck drove too close to the edge of a spur road and rolled over the embankment.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace 
Core Activity : Retail store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009138190269
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A man robbed a store.
See a hazard alert about the risk of violence faced by retail workers:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to leg 
Core Activity : Ski hill operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850288
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

While descending a ski run at the end of the day, a ski patroller (a young worker) collided with a snowmobile as it crested a small knoll. The snowmobile was ascending the ski run en route to the maintenance shed.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Excavating near house
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930353
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A backhoe was digging near a house when it broke a gas line whose location was known. The operator entered the excavation and crimped the line. The utility company sent a crew to deal with the emergency.
Injury Type : Head lacerations, broken arm 
Core Activity : Loading snowmobile onto pickup truck
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490128
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

As a wildlife technician was trying to load a snowmobile onto a pickup truck by driving the machine onto a snowmobile platform on the back of the truck, the ramp slipped out. The worker was thrown to the ground, the snowmobile landed on top of the worker, and the ramp struck the worker's head.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, internal injuries 
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750726
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

In preparation for lifting a pre-constructed wall into place, workers removed guardrails. The wall structure was covered in frost. A worker who was not involved in the lift stepped onto the wall structure to retrieve his hammer, which was 7 feet from the edge. He slipped and fell 37 feet to the rocks below.
Injury Type : Serious injury to eye 
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810247
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A young worker was operating a nail gun with coil framing nails when the wire coil flew off. It entered the worker's eye from underneath his safety glasses.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, head laceration, abrasions 
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147230209
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A truck was driving through an intersection when it was T-boned by a crane truck. Injury Type : Minor smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800130
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A propane heater was being used to preheat the generator building on a drilling rig. The heater was left unattended and the generator building caught fire. While trying to extinguish the fire, one worker sustained minor smoke inhalation.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730493
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

An excavator contacted a gas line while installing power and telecommunications lines. The excavator operator had recently installed the gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Woodworking shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147280244
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A fire occurred in the chambers and/or hopper of a dust collector. An explosion occurred in a discharge bin for the collector, and an explosion panel in the bin was blown out.
Injury Type : Injuries to ears and head
Core Activity : Pipeline construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930356
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

Workers filled a plastic pop bottle with acetylene and placed it on a fire at their worksite, then quickly moved away. When the makeshift device exploded, the shockwave injured a young worker who was only about 4 feet away from the fire.
Injury Type : Serious crush injuries to hand
Core Activity : Rig move
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930355
Date of Incident : 2009-Dec

A young worker was spooling 1-inch wire rope onto a truck-mounted winch drum when his gloved hand was caught and pulled into the drum. The operator of the unit was not at the controls and did not know what had happened. When the drum was backed up to release the worker's hand, the s hand was crushed again until it released from the winch drum.
Injury Type : Fatal 
Core Activity : Travelling to remote work site
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490397
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was driving a pickup truck on a forest service road, heading to a remote work site. The truck failed to negotiate a curve, travelled into a ditch, and struck an embankment.
Injury Type : Lacerations, soft-tissue injuries 
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850279
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A loaded logging truck was travelling down an icy, snowy forest service road. The driver lost control of the trailer while trying to stop, and the truck rolled onto its roof.
Injury Type : Severe burns, internal injuries 
Core Activity : Power line service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950314
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker climbed a single-phase 14.4-kV utility pole to replace an insulator. The worker contacted an overhead line.
Injury Type : Close call 
Core Activity : Prefabricated building construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870323
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Workers were positioning a roof on a prefabricated home. As the roof was being guided over the pivot point, the end of the roof came up, then fell 8 to 12 inches, causing a whipping motion and transferring a shock load to the hoist.
Injury Type : Shoulder injuries
Core Activity : Manual falling and bucking
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009136960340
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A faller was falling a 36-inch-diameter red cedar tree. He intended to fall the cedar so that it knocked down a 40-foot-tall limbless hemlock snag (dangerous tree) about 4 feet behind it. When the cedar tree fell, the top of the snag broke off and catapulted back towards the faller.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installation of underground utilities
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009109150603
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

An excavator punctured a 4-inch natural gas distribution line. The line was buried about 12 inches below the surface in fractured/blast rock material. As the bucket of the excavator was loosening material, a sharp rock punctured the plastic line.
Injury Type : Lacerated neck, broken ribs
Core Activity : Glass shop and window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009070890089
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Large sheets of glass (3/8 inch thick, 34 inches by 80 inches) were sitting in an A-frame cradle. A young worker tipped several of the sheets toward himself so that a second worker could access sheets deeper in the stack. As more sheets were tipped forward, the increasing weight of the stack caused the worker to fall back against a work table. The falling glass sliced the worker's neck, and the impact of hitting the table broke several ribs.
Injury Type : Flash burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160898
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker connected a neutral wire to a neutral bus bar in an energized electrical panel. The neutral wire contacted the energized conductor at the panel, causing an arc flash.
Injury Type : Exposure to a hazardous substance (formalin)
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009163500241
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

An unknown quantity of formalin (possibly 200 litres/45 gallons) was spilled in a morgue. One worker was exposed to the chemical and suffered numerous side effects, including hallucinations, breathing difficulties, and gastric pain.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Water and sewer installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160337
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

As an excavator was moving to a separate work area, it struck overhead communications and electrical infrastructure. It broke one utility pole and collapsed the system.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs
Core Activity : Resource road construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490115
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker had fuelled up a rock truck and was climbing into the back of the fuel truck when he slipped and fell onto a metal cross brace.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009166720005
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

During the removal of a 70-foot tree, the top 25-foot portion of the tree was cut. It landed on three-phase 12.5-kV overhead power lines and ignited.
Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080321
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was using a voltage test meter to confirm the required 480 volts on a generator when an arc flash occurred.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete pumping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640231
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

As a concrete pumper truck was folding up its boom, it contacted overhead high-voltage lines.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, ribs; possible internal injuries
Core Activity : Manual falling for heli-logging operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600252
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

As a faller was moving away, a maple tree broke off the stump and slid downhill. The top of the maple (4-5 inches in diameter) swung and fell from about 40 feet, striking the worker's back and knocking him to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Grading of forest resource road
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530383
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A grader working on a forest resource road rolled over a 15-foot embankment, landing on its side.
Injury Type : Broken foot
Core Activity : Yarding and loading
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920270
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A hydraulic log loader backed up 12 feet to load a large cedar log onto a logging truck. The loader's track ran over the foot of a worker who was in the landing to clear a choker for a grapple yarder.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to fingers
Core Activity : Printing/Laminating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009145130295
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker's fingers were drawn into the rollers of a laminating machine.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wooden pallet manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480262
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Two workers were working inside a leased building when sections of drywall began falling from the ceiling and they heard the sound of wood cracking. The workers quickly exited the building as a large section of the roof (40 feet by 30 feet) collapsed into the building. It was reported that the collapsed section of roof had been leaking for many years.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132600
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

As a concrete sump was being offloaded on a public roadway, its lid fell onto the roadway and was struck by a passing vehicle.
Injury Type : Compound fracture of leg
Core Activity : Food wholesale delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009104270253
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A driver making deliveries was on the rear power gate of a truck, using a pallet jack to move a large loaded skid. When the product started to fall off the pallet, the worker tried to jump free, but his leg caught on a chain, and he fell. The product landed on his leg.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas bar and late night retail
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850250
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A person armed with a shotgun entered a gas station/retail outlet and robbed the cashier of all cash from the register.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Chemical and metal processing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970233
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A fire started in a building where lithium thionyl-chloride batteries were stored and discharged. As the fire engulfed the building, batteries exploded, throwing flaming projectiles around the plant. No workers were on-site at the time of the fire.
Injury Type : Concussion, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880452
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A reversing vehicle struck a traffic control person.
See a hazard alert about the risks of working in traffic control zones:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35319
Injury Type : Broken leg and arm
Core Activity : Power line repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830218
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker fell about 26 feet from a utility pole when the pole broke off at its base.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mobile crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009160580269
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

The 110-foot lattice boom on a hydraulic mobile crane was pulled over backwards (snapped off). The non-functioning safety limits on the crane allowed it to be boomed up too high.
Injury Type : Facial laceration
Core Activity : Auto service or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480256
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was bending metal plate by striking it with a 5-pound hammer. The hammer slipped out of his hands and struck him in the face.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for sewer pipe installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009109150587
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

While digging for the installation of sewer pipes, an excavator severed an underground natural gas service line. The location of the line had not been accurately determined at a sufficient number of locations before excavation work with powered equipment began. A portion of the line had been located, but workers were unable to obtain an accurate locate further along the edge of the driveway and therefore assumed that the line followed a straight path away from the located section.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist, ankle, foot; back injury
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850250
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker on a second-storey balcony lost his balance and fell about 20 feet.
Injury Type : Compound fracture of leg
Core Activity : Cold storage plant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230316
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

The operator of a reach-lift truck was injured when he lost control of the unit and either jumped or was thrown from the machine.
Injury Type : Leg fractures
Core Activity : Stone countertop manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110415
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A young worker was helping to remove one of eight slabs of granite from a crate. The stack of slabs fell over, pinning one of his legs.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Water line replacement
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270299
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A backhoe digging a trench for a new water line severed a 2-inch gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Steam heating supply
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880450
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Shortly after steam was supplied to a building's heat distribution system, a cap on a fitting failed and the mechanical room filled with high-pressure steam.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880449
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A tower crane was lowering a basket-slung column form (16 feet by 4 feet) from the top deck of a highrise. About 20 feet above the deck it was to land on, the form tilted in the slings. This caused six taper ties and a 16-foot 4x6, all unsecured, to fall to the deck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570173
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

The boom of a tower crane, with load on hook, contacted the boom of a 200-ton mobile crane. The mobile crane had its boom extended inside the radius of the tower crane but was not working at the time of the incident.
Injury Type : Abrasions to both arms
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163100253
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A young worker was offloading boxes from a conveyor when his hand was caught in the in-running nip point of the system. The conveyor belt abraded the stuck arm. As the worker tried to free the hand, his other hand became caught and sustained abrasions as well.
Injury Type : Crush and puncture injuries to hand
Core Activity : Butcher shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147280222
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

As a worker wearing gloves placed chicken meat in a tenderizer, the worker's hand entered the machine. The machine was not equipped with the manufacturer's safeguard for the hazardous point of operation.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Hotel operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410237
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A pickup truck went out of control and struck the exterior wall of a hotel. The truck penetrated the wall and proceeded through four rooms (about 70 feet) before hitting a fire separation wall and coming to a stop. The rooms were not occupied and no workers were injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161740252
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A loaded off-highway logging truck drove off the edge of a logging road. The truck rolled over and came to rest at the edge of a lake. The driver escaped without injury.
Injury Type : Broken foot bone
Core Activity : Installation of services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640241
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A backhoe was carrying a section of concrete pipe suspended from its bucket. A worker was holding onto the pipe to control its movement during transit. When the worker stopped walking to manoeuvre the pipe around an obstacle, the backhoe continued forward and ran over the worker's foot.
Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker); injuries (2 workers)
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009119700208
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A service truck was involved in a collision with a loaded logging truck. A private motor vehicle then collided with the trucks. One worker in the service truck died, the other (a young worker) was injured. The driver of the logging truck was also injured. The non-workers in the private vehicle were not injured.
Injury Type : Injury to shoulder
Core Activity : Oilfield welding
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009144250163
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A service rig was being used to remove a large-diameter piece of pipe (production casing). The winch line from the service rig had been attached to the casing bowl to hold it in position. The steel casing bowl section suddenly separated from the casing and struck a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490126
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

At an operating sour gas well (a gas well with hydrogen sulfide/H2S gas) a leak occurred downstream from the emergency shutdown valve. A large volume of sour gas was released into the atmosphere around the well and nearby residences were evacuated. The gas release continued for nearly two hours, until workers were able to shut in the well and control the leak. No workers were injured or exposed to hazardous levels of sour gas.
Injury Type : Fatal (6 non-workers); serious injuries (1 worker, 1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Passenger flight service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960444
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A floatplane crashed into the ocean near Saturna Island.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Well servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790136
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

On a snubbing rig (an oil and gas unit used to insert or remove pipe from the well bore), a young worker reached into a view port (1" x 4" slot) on a hydraulic ram on the well bore BOP stack (a device used to control the escape of gas and fluids from a well bore). The worker was trying to see if the ram was open and whether it had released the pipe to allow the movement of out of the well. As the worker put his hand into the view port, the ram was opening and caught one of his fingers.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Oil or gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490120
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A drilling rig crew was laying pipe down on the cat walk (pipe access ramp) of a drilling rig when a young worker fell from the main rig floor to the ground (about 3.5 metres). The worker fell between the access stairs and the v-doors (opening through which drill pipe is lowered into or out from the drilling derrick).
Injury Type : Possible exposure to a hazardous sustance (vapours from invert drilling fluid)
Core Activity : Oil or gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490123
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker on a drilling rig experienced severe respiratory distress following possible exposure to potentially hazardous vapours. The drilling rig was using an invert drilling fluid (a fluid composed of diesel oil and petroleum distillates known to give off potentially hazardous vapours). The worker's duties involved work in the mud tank and shale shaker areas of the rig (areas in which the drilling fluids are mixed and circulated to surface).
Injury Type : Broken ankle, lacerations
Core Activity : Barn construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480277
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was retrieving an electrical cord from a 4:12 sloped metal roof when he lost his footing. He slid off the roof, landing on the ground about 16 feet below.
Injury Type : Shoulder injury; head contusion and laceration
Core Activity : Installation of metal roof
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410256
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

In preparation for the installation of a new roof, a young worker accessed a first-level hip roof on a two-storey home to remove a tarp. Shortly after, the worker fell to grade (about 11.5 feet). Fall protection was available on site but was not being used.
Injury Type : Broken vertebrae, hip, ankle (1 worker); scrapes, cuts, soreness (2 workers)
Core Activity : Heating and insulation installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830238
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Three workers fell about 12 feet when the temporary work platform they were on collapsed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Storm drain maintenance
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290499
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A crew was using a 4-inch root cutter to perform routine maintenance on a 6-inch storm drain in the road. The cutter severed a half-inch gas line. When the crew heard and then smelled gas escaping, they stopped work and initiated an emergency response. About 35 homes nearby were evacuated until a 2-inch main feeder line was shut off and drain lines were purged. The drain had been serviced on several previous occasions using the root cutter. Since the gas service had been installed many years before (in 1995), it was not prioritized in the video recording review by municipal engineers looking for hogged gas lines penetrating the drain. The hogged gas line may have shifted during recent heavy rainfall.
Injury Type : Concussion, fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Installation of gutters
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880252
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was working alone, installing gutters on a new home in a remote location. The worker fell from a ladder and landed on his back on the ground about 15 feet below. He walked to a nearby highway to flag down assistance.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Cold storage plant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230334
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

As a reach truck was being parked in a restricted area, its mast contacted and cracked a 1-inch gas line. Natural gas was released into the warehouse but no one was injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Poultry processing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009166940004
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A fire started in a storage building at a poultry processing facility. Two employees were in the building at the time, but neither was injured.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830232
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

An assailant with a gun robbed a worker at the drive-through window of a restaurant. Six employees were working at the time of the incident.
See a hazard alert about the risk of violence faced by retail workers:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663
Injury Type : Broken wrist and rib; internal injuries
Core Activity : Setup of scaffolding
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550238
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker fell between 12 and 13 feet from a scaffold system.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132611
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A wooden piece of formwork about 12 feet by 10 feet was being readied for removal when it fell from the 15th floor, destroying the access way and electrical service to the manhoist.
Injury Type : Injuries to head and shoulder
Core Activity : Truck body manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230323
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Two workers were operating an overhead jig when it was prematurely released. The jig struck one of the workers.
Injury Type : Facial injuries (1 worker); contusions, abrasions (1 young worker)
Core Activity : Delivery of building materials
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009138190255
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Two workers (one of them a young worker) were struck by a load of windows being offloaded from a flat-deck truck.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850264
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

While moving from one anchor to another, a worker slipped and fell from a roof to grade (12 feet).
Injury Type : Strained neck (1 worker); smoke inhalation (3 workers)
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520303
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A patient assaulted a worker and then set a bed on fire.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation of utility
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290498
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A broken water main required an emergency locate of utilities. The gas company completed an on-site locate, with subsequent hand excavation uncovering a dormant steel service line. During mechanical excavation, an active polyethylene service located underneath the steel line was struck.
Injury Type : Dizziness, disorientation
Core Activity : Institutional construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009109150596
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was sitting in the construction site trailer at the end of the shift when he felt dizzy and disoriented. He blew the first aid horn for assistance.
Injury Type : Bruising, swelling of head and neck
Core Activity : Dismantling self-erecting tower crane
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970498
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was helping to dismantle a self-erecting tower crane. He was struck by the cab of the crane when the increased weight of the trolley, jib, and tower caused the sleeper bin of the cab to fail, along with the high-speed safety brake. The cab section dropped 64 inches, striking the worker on the head.
Injury Type : Amputation of fingertip
Core Activity : Home improvement centre
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009161980424
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker's hand was struck by the knife carriage of a carpet-cutting machine.
Injury Type : Bruising and abrasions (2 workers)
Core Activity : Metal manufacturing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970239
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

Two bridge cranes sharing the same superstructure collided.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132602
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was standing on a toe board (work platform) on a steep slope roof, preparing to climb down a ladder. He had disconnected his lanyard from his personal fall protection system when one of the roof brackets/jacks securing the toe board pulled out. The worker fell to grade (13 feet).
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950308
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was using a high-lift electric pallet stacker when one foot got caught between the stacker and a pallet of material in the aisle.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Replacement of water separation tank
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157570207
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A fire broke out while a worker was cutting a drainage hole in a water separation box using a high-current welding application. The process ignited a liquid containing water, creosote, pole oil, naphthalene, and pentachlorophenol.
Injury Type : Swollen neck
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160887
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A young worker was flipping boards on the infeed transfer to separate them. A long 2x8 board was turned sideways, and the tailing edge of another board was being used as a pivot. Another worker activated the board flippers on the machine, which caused the two boards on the canter infeed to flip. The near end of a board lifted and struck the first worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009109150585
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

An excavator contacted and severed a 2-inch underground natural gas line, which had previously been located and marked. The line should have been re-located and exposed by hand.
Injury Type : Amputated finger
Core Activity : Machine shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600250
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was inspecting the cutter-head tool attachment on a milling machine to ensure proper settings for the metal piece being worked. While grasping the cutter-head with one hand, the worker reached up with the other hand to set the chuck gear drive knob to the neutral position so the cutter-head attachment could be rotated. However, the worker grasped and activated the power control lever instead, and the chuck with the tool attachment began to rotate. A protrusion on the tool attachment got caught in a ring on the worker's finger.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site surface preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009109150588
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was using a chainsaw to cut one stem of a multi-stem deciduous tree. A mini-excavator was trying to direct the fall of the stem but lost control of it. The tree limb contacted a low-voltage overhead power line, causing a power outage at an adjacent residence.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility pole installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450343
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A 26-ton truck-mounted crane was unloading wooden utility poles from a trailer. While picking the last pole from the trailer, the boom of the crane collapsed. The crane was operating at a capacity beyond the load chart.
Injury Type : Injury to shoulder
Core Activity : Oilfield welding
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009144250163
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A service rig was being used to remove a large-diameter piece of pipe (production casing). The winch line from the service rig had been attached to the casing bowl to hold it in position. The steel casing bowl section suddenly separated from the casing and struck a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490126
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

At an operating sour gas well (a gas well with hydrogen sulfide/H2S gas) a leak occurred downstream from the emergency shutdown valve. A large volume of sour gas was released into the atmosphere around the well and nearby residences were evacuated. The gas release continued for nearly two hours, until workers were able to shut in the well and control the leak. No workers were injured or exposed to hazardous levels of sour gas.
Injury Type : Fatal (6 non-workers); serious injuries (1 worker, 1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Passenger flight service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960444
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A floatplane crashed into the ocean near Saturna Island.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to a hazardous sustance (vapours from invert drilling fluid)
Core Activity : Oil or gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490123
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker on a drilling rig experienced severe respiratory distress following possible exposure to potentially hazardous vapours. The drilling rig was using an invert drilling fluid (a fluid composed of diesel oil and petroleum distillates known to give off potentially hazardous vapours). The worker's duties involved work in the mud tank and shale shaker areas of the rig (areas in which the drilling fluids are mixed and circulated to surface).
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Well servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790136
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

On a snubbing rig (an oil and gas unit used to insert or remove pipe from the well bore), a young worker reached into a view port (1" x 4" slot) on a hydraulic ram on the well bore BOP stack (a device used to control the escape of gas and fluids from a well bore). The worker was trying to see if the ram was open and whether it had released the pipe to allow the movement of out of the well. As the worker put his hand into the view port, the ram was opening and caught one of his fingers.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Oil or gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490120
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A drilling rig crew was laying pipe down on the cat walk (pipe access ramp) of a drilling rig when a young worker fell from the main rig floor to the ground (about 3.5 metres). The worker fell between the access stairs and the v-doors (opening through which drill pipe is lowered into or out from the drilling derrick).
Injury Type : Injuries to ribs and arm
Core Activity : Orchard pruning
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160530005
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was pruning fruit trees from a three-wheeled orchard manlift. The safety bar on the manlift released and opened, causing the worker to fall to the ground (about 6 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030495
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

The operator of a stone slinger truck performed a pre-shift inspection during which the vehicle's throw conveyor was raised. The throw conveyor was not returned to the transport cradle, and it contacted and broke a utility pole when the vehicle was driven away.
Injury Type : Hip pain
Core Activity : Water main installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030492
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

While performing pipe-bursting activities (150 feet of 8-inch-diameter pipe was being pulled through a 6-inch-diameter underground pipe), a worker removed a steel bar supporting a vertical steel plate (4 feet by 8 feet by three-quarters of an inch). The plate fell, pinning the worker against the pulling machine.
Injury Type : Crush injury to hand
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160904
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker at a strap-and-wrap station reached for a tag at the same time as another worker activated the press. As the press cycled, the worker's hand was caught between the shifting boards.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis, knee pain
Core Activity : Flexible packaging manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230341
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was lifting a 1,500-kilogram roll of product with a spreader bar. When the roll released suddenly, the spreader bar struck the worker.
Injury Type : Bruised chest, hip
Core Activity : Shake and shingle mill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108440376
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A rigged 40-foot-long shattered cedar log was being manoeuvred backwards in the log slip. The end of the log grounded in the river bottom, causing two 12-foot-long slabs to break off. One slab pivoted and landed on a nearby boom worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Trenching for telecommunications line
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790139
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

An excavator was digging a trench for the installation of a telecommunications line when its bucket ruptured a three-quarter-inch natural gas distribution line. Natural gas was released into the atmosphere for several hours before the line could be repaired. No workers were injured or exposed to hazardous levels of natural gas.
Injury Type : Bruised shoulder, neck
Core Activity : Installation of fire sprinklers
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830234
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A worker was transferring 21-foot pipes from a closed traffic lane to an underground parking area. After lifting and positioning a pipe on his shoulder, the worker was turned in the direction of the underground parking when a motor vehicle's passenger side mirror hit the tail end of the pipe.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Testing hydroelectric generator
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700281
Date of Incident : 2009-Nov

A short-circuit test was being conducted on a new hydroelectric generator. The leads were grounded in the neutral/terminal cubicle when the breaker was closed, sending 13.8 kV to ground. The capacitor adjacent to the grounding clamps exploded from the heat generated.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete coring
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850238
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

During drilling operations, a 14-inch-diameter concrete boring bit contacted the protective conduit of an embedded 120 VAC electrical line.
Injury Type : Serious burns
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830217
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was test firing the steam boiler on oil. There was a large loud bang and a portion of the burner of the Number 4 steam boiler blew off. The worker was showered in burning diesel oil and his shirt caught fire.
Injury Type : Fractured collarbone, bruising
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009090580570
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was 10 feet up an extension ladder that was leaning against a utility pole. Nearby, a truck's manlift basket was lowered to the truck deck but the boom was not completely lowered. When the truck's operator received a call to go to another site, he forgot the boom was not fully lowered. The truck backed up and the boom struck a de-energized line, partially pulling over the utility pole. The ladder leaning against the pole fell over backwards, and the worker landed on the ground.
Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Heavy equipment repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030465
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

While descending a ladder off a mezzanine, a worker fell 11 feet, 5 inches to the concrete floor below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Ferry service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960388
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A ferry vessel was underway at 20 knots. The port bow anchor released suddenly, bringing the vessel to a stop.
Injury Type : Fractured leg, bruising 
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009147050571
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was on the top plate of a private residence that was being renovated. He was knocked off the plate by a load swinging from a truck-mounted crane.
Injury Type : Severe nausea, sore throat, headache 
Core Activity : Pulp and paper production
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009147050564
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

Caustic solution was delivered to a mill site for unloading. As it was unloaded, some spilled. A worker was exposed to the vapours while cleaning up.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Vinyl window manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410233
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

While transporting a load of vinyl extrusion, a forklift tipped onto its side. The operator, who was wearing a seat belt, was able to brace himself and remain in the cab.
Watch the video "Stay in the cab, stay alive":
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=35419
View or download videos and printed resources on forklift safety:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/SmallBusiness/EquipmentSafety.asp?reportid=32813
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Heavy equipment repair
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970230
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was removing bolts that fastened a shock bar to the bottom of a collector plate. He had cut the bolts and was hammering them free when the 100-pound collector plate (about 2 feet x 20 feet x 1/8 inch) fell 5 feet and struck him.
Injury Type : Abrasions, bruising
Core Activity : Sprinkler fitting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880431
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was on the cantilevered end of a scaffold plank when it flipped up. The worker fell 9 feet, 9 inches to the floor below.
Injury Type : Strains, bruising (2 workers)
Core Activity : Technical consulting
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800091
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

Two workers (one driving, one a passenger) were in a vehicle that went out of control on black ice. The vehicle fishtailed, entered a ditch, and rolled.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490360
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A loaded fuel transport truck failed to negotiate a curve in the road, rolled over into a ditch, and caught fire.
Injury Type : Possible head injury, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Building maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108620160
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was found unconscious in a stairwell.
Injury Type : Decompression sickness
Core Activity : Commercial diving
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850248
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker experienced symptoms of decompression sickness about two hours after completing a 130-foot dive.
Injury Type : Serious burns
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830217
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was test firing the steam boiler on oil. There was a large loud bang and a portion of the burner of the Number 4 steam boiler blew off. The worker was showered in burning diesel oil and his shirt caught fire.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Oil or gas field servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490110
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was driving an SUV on a resource road, heading to a drilling lease location. The road was icy and at one slippery patch, the vehicle went into a skid, sliding sideways and rolling into the ditch. The worker was not seriously injured.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Consulting engineering
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490112
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A pickup truck was travelling on an icy highway. As it negotiated a corner, it slid into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer unit. The worker in the pickup truck was fatally injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270277
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

An excavator was removing dirt from a collection basin excavation (6 feet by 6 feet) when it contacted a 14-kV conductor. The line was returned to service after the utility company inspected it.
Injury Type : Pellet gun wound
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009116080319
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A mental health patient on a day pass returned with a concealed pellet gun. As the patient was being escorted by security, he shot one nurse and two protection services officers. The officers were not hurt because they were wearing bulletproof vests.
Injury Type : Fractured skull
Core Activity : Mushroom farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163210299
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A young worker fell about 4.5 feet from a mushroom-picking platform to grade.
Injury Type : Serious eye injury
Core Activity : Sheet metal fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410234
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was operating a baling machine to compress waste aluminum when the head of a bolt broke off from the bottom of the machine and struck him in the face under his safety glasses.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450342
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was performing maintenance in the bight (danger zone) when another worker noticed an extinguished lockout test indicator light. The electrical crew had cycled the programmable logic controller, causing the light to extinguish.
Injury Type : Broken foot bones
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730410
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A large excavator was tracking backward when it contacted the foot of a traffic control person (a young worker). The excavator's back-up warning beeper was sounding.
Injury Type : Multiple injuries
Core Activity : Scaffolding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550226
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was standing on a scaffold/bleacher deck about 55 feet above grade as a tower crane operator (operating remotely) and another worker prepared to land a load of scaffold components. As the load was landed, one of the slings contacted part of the scaffold system. When the operator hoisted the load, the scaffold deck structure began to rise. The scaffold deck dislodged from its connection point behind the worker, and the worker fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102959
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was excavating on a residential property to perform utility repairs when a natural gas line was ruptured. The location of utilities had not been verified before excavating began.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility pole replacement
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230281
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A power line crew was setting up to replace a utility pole. The crane truck's boom contacted an energized 25-kV power line.
Injury Type : Facial laceration, extensive bruising
Core Activity : Trawl fishing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009139050106
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

As a trawl net was being hauled in, the drum began to spin uncontrollably. The whipping trawl net struck a worker several times.
Injury Type : Injured arm
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410139
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker brought a loaded articulating dump truck to a stop, intending to dump the load of dirt. As the rear box rose, the tailgate did not unlock. The load then shifted, causing the truck to stand on end. The truck cab turned to the right side and fell to the ground. The worker was wearing a seat belt.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Operation of truck-mounted crane
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009162000315
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A young worker was preparing to rig a load when the winch cable he was holding contacted an overhead power line (7.2 kV).
Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Window cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108440334
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was on an extension ladder, cleaning windows 16 feet above the concrete floor. A second worker was "footing" the ladder (holding the base while standing underneath the ladder) when the ladder slid out. The ladder and elevated worker fell, landing on the "footing" worker. The worker on the ladder was not injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Heavy equipment installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850223
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A 22,000-pound accumulator tank fell about half an inch to grade when an engineered overhead lifting eye failed due to incorrectly installed securing bolts. The lifting eye chain hoist and associated rigging fell to grade (about 10 feet), narrowly missing several workers.
Injury Type : Finger amputation
Core Activity : Wood products manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410220
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A non-worker, who was visiting a friend at work, attempted to help adjust a dog-ear saw. The saw was shut off but had not come to a complete stop when his hand contacted the exposed blade.
ID Number : 2009113830217
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was test firing the steam boiler on oil. There was a large loud bang and a portion of the burner of the Number 4 steam boiler blew off. The worker was showered in burning diesel oil and his shirt caught fire.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Oil or gas field servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490110
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was driving an SUV on a resource road, heading to a drilling lease location. The road was icy and at one slippery patch, the vehicle went into a skid, sliding sideways and rolling into the ditch. The worker was not seriously injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980339
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A truck had been parked on an incline with a small load of log rounds in its box. No one was at the controls when the vehicle started to roll. It struck and sheared off a utility pole, then came to rest against a tree in a yard.
Injury Type : Partial amputation of finger
Core Activity : Pulp mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009140970342
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was hooking up a trailer with a welding unit on it to his truck. The worker exited the truck to make sure that the ball and hitch were lining up. As he tried to align them, the trailer moved. The hitch came down and pushed one of his fingers onto the ball.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for bus stop
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870261
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

An excavator was developing the site of a new bus stop. As it spread pit-run gravel, it severed a 1-inch gas line (a stub off the 4-inch main line). No other property damage or injuries occurred.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, internal injuries
Core Activity : Rock scaling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240327
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A rock scaler had finished work on an outcropping and unhooked his lifeline. He was traversing an adjacent slope to leave the area when the ground under him collapsed. The worker and the dislodged rock and soil slid down the slope, under a metal mesh structure, and stopped about 120 feet downslope at the highway ditch. The worker was partially buried in the rock and soil.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Worker transport by water
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960389
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A landing craft was in transit with two workers onboard when it capsized.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Industrial or commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080307
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A main electrical power supply cable became entangled during the operation of the manhoists at a construction site. This damaged the main electrical power supply cable and the bicycle pulley system used to guide the power supply cable when the manhoist moves up and down. High winds may have been a contributing factor in this incident.
Injury Type : Broken ankle
Core Activity : Power line installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820282
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker had climbed a wooden power pole to a height of about 10 feet when he slipped and fell to grade. The worker was wearing climbing spurs but did not use a climbing belt.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, punctured lung
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700258
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker fell one level through an opening in the floor.
See a hazard alert about a worker who fell through an opening in a roof:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34669
Injury Type : Dislocated shoulder
Core Activity : Pressure washing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730279
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was pressure washing a 53-foot trailer when he backed up and tripped over a large block of wood (used to support the landing gear of this kind of trailer). The worker tried to break his fall with his arm.
Injury Type : Lacerations to hand and arm
Core Activity : Tire change and installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009161980396
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was inflating a tire (16-inch diameter), newly mounted on an old rim (16.5-inch diameter), when the tire exploded. The force of the explosion launched the tire/rim assembly off the tire-changing machine and into the air. The worker was struck by the tire/rim and was transported to hospital by ambulance. A second worker then tried to mount another tire on the same rim. This tire exploded as well, but the worker was not injured.
See a slide show about tire-servicing incidents in which two workers died and one was seriously injured:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34001
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Towing floating lodge
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009134520108
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was on a ledge of a floating lodge, trying to untangle a line, when the lodge floated into a dock. The worker was caught between the lodge and the dock.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132581
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A tower crane landed two pallets of concrete pavers on a balcony of the 26th floor. The top pallet of pavers was not secured and the pavers (about 2,200 pounds) fell to ground level.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site surface preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050290
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

While preparing for curb installation, a power curbing machine contacted a pressurized 8-inch gas line. No injuries or property damage occurred.
Injury Type : Amputated finger
Core Activity : Carpentry
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240323
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was cross-cutting a piece of lumber with a portable circular saw. The saw blade pinched, causing the saw to kick back and contact the worker's hand. See a video segment about kickback from circular saws (part of a series on power tool safety): http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?reportid=35773
Injury Type : Electric shock
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009116080322
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker contacted the warming lamp fixture (110 volts) with metal serving tongs held in one hand, while the other hand contacted the serving counter.
Injury Type : Acid burns
Core Activity : Pipefitting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970227
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was breaking open a pipe flange to prepare a vessel for maintenance. Residual pressurized sulphuric acid in the line sprayed the worker. The injury was exacerbated by the difficulty of egress from the area.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Staking for rights-of-way
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160309
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

Rights-of-way staking was being done adjacent to a previously located gas line. A rebar stake-pin was hand driven through a 4-inch gas line.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980330
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A traffic control person (TCP) was directing traffic about 147 feet from a blast site. When the blast was detonated, fly rock struck the TCP.
See a slide show about another blasting incident in which fly rock struck a worker:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34853
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Helicopter VFR operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180161
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A helicopter was pulling "sock line" for a power transmission line installation project. The work entails pulling the line from one 70-foot-high H-frame structure to another. The last structure in the row is a single straight pole 130 feet high. The helicopter was pulling the line by flying backwards so the operator could see the line. He was past the last H frame and nearing the single pole when the helicopter's main rotor (all 3 blades) struck the single pole just inches from the top. The helicopter rotated and its tail section then struck the pole. The pilot regained control of the helicopter, veered it away from the workers, ejected the lifting line (with attached 500-pound stabilization ball) in a safe area, then safely landed the helicopter a short distance away.
Injury Type : Chest pain
Core Activity : Asbestos abatement
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710279
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was in an excavation to do the asbestos abatement of a water pipe. The excavation partly collapsed, and the worker was buried to his knees. As co-workers tried to free the worker, another collapse occurred, covering him up to his chest.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050287
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A backhoe contacted a 25-kV primary line. Underground utilities were not accurately located before excavation began.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009136900170
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A child (non-worker) was fatally injured when plywood sheets standing on edge fell onto him.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Waste disposal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710272
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A tractor with a 40-foot tri-axle trailer was dumping a load of demolition waste (55,950 kg) at a landfill site. The rig became unstable and rolled onto its side.
Injury Type : Crushed fingertip
Core Activity : Rigging and loading
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850237
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker was attempting to disengage a stay line on a load of steel light standards that had been placed by a truck-mounted crane. The load shifted in the rigging, and the base of one light standard crushed one of the worker's fingertips.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tugboat operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102961
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A tugboat was pulling a loaded barge to a remote construction project at the far end of a lake when the tugboat caught fire. Two workers were rescued uninjured.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Concrete manufacture and delivery
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160303
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A concrete truck was travelling up a steep asphalt grade in winter conditions (2 cm of slush/ice) and spun out. As the driver of the concrete truck was putting on tire chains with a helper, a private motor vehicle lost control going down the hill. The motor vehicle struck a guardrail and then the concrete truck driver, pinning him between the two vehicles.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156580422
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

During road work, a 30-mm gas line was snagged. The weld at the base of a nipple cracked, causing a slow release of gas.
Injury Type : Foot injury
Core Activity : Ornamental nursery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480232
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

As workers were digging out a cedar tree, one worker's foot was pinched in the hydraulic spader (tree digger) attachment on a skid-steer loader.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Metal recycling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490347
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

Two workers were using oxyacetylene cutting equipment to dismantle an old bulldozer at a scrap metal yard. One worker was working beneath the winch, at the back end of the bulldozer. The winch dislodged from the machine frame and fell onto the worker, causing fatal injuries.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, internal injuries
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156580424
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A worker fell about 45 feet from a tree when his chainsaw cut his rope.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Logging road maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009114050374
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A grader was grading down a 13 percent forestry haul road. The operator stopped to make way for an oncoming car. As he tried to back up the grader, its engine stalled. The grader lost braking and steering capacity, travelled a short distance down the road, then went over the outer bank and rolled about 100 feet down a 75 percent slope.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009136970203
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

During work to install a water line, an excavator severed a 2-inch natural gas line.
Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480287
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A faller was trying to fall a live cedar tree and an alder snag limb tied into the cedar. Falling cuts were put into both trees. As the cedar began to fall, pulling the alder along with it, the alder hung up in an adjacent live fir tree. This caused the alder's stem to break and fall back onto the faller.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, internal injuries (non-worker)
Core Activity : Industrial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700245
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

A non-worker was on a ladder, trying to access a roof. The ladder slipped and the person fell 15 feet.
Injury Type : Burns to upper body (2 workers)
Core Activity : Power line service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700237
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

Two workers (one of them a young worker) were injured by an arc flash in a manhole containing 25-kV power lines.
Injury Type : Serious injuries (2 non-workers)
Core Activity : Highway maintenance
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110359
Date of Incident : 2009-Oct

Two non-workers were seriously injured when their motorcycle crashed into a flashing arrow board. The board was operating on the closed centre lane; the impact from the crash propelled the arrow board trailer 13 metres across the open right-side lane.

2009 July - September

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Fruit harvesting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880174
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was transporting a bin of fruit on the rear fork attachment of a tractor when the tractor slid down an embankment and rolled over.
See a hazard alert about this incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/posters.asp?reportID=35774
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950274
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was being moved. As the bucket was placed down so the excavator could spin, a 2-inch gas line was severed. Almost 400 customers were without service as a result.
Injury Type : Back and neck strain
Core Activity : Excavation for blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113920132
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As an excavator lifted blasting mats into place, it became unstable and rolled onto its boom side. The operator was wearing the provided seat belt and sustained only minor injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Clearing log-harvesting debris
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161740224
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was piling log-harvesting debris on gently sloped ground. The excavator was moving between two piles when it travelled over a dip in the ground and tipped over. The operator, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured.
View a slide show about another excavator rollover:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34159
Injury Type : Contact with hazardous substance (propionic acid)
Core Activity : Delivering farm products
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163210285
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was transporting propionic acid (a feed supplement) when he drove off the road. The acid drenched the worker and spilled into a water-filled ravine.
Injury Type : Multiple leg fractures
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600240
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A 24-foot-long "pusher bar" lift truck attachment was being used to push lumber packages into a shipping container. The pusher bar struck a worker.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Gutter repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100809
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on a ladder, installing cladding on fascia board on the gable end of a house. The ladder dislodged and the worker fell about 14 feet.
Injury Type : Multiple broken bones and lacerations
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710258
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While controlling traffic, a young worker was struck by a vehicle and thrown about 100 feet.
See a hazard alert about the risks of working in traffic control zones:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35319
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Wire cable manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410215
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A 600-ton press was operating when its die assembly was ejected, fatally injuring a worker.
Injury Type : Lacerations to both legs
Core Activity : Fence installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750593
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was using a 5-inch angle grinder equipped with a 7-inch cutting wheel to disassemble a wrought-iron fence. The worker had completed partial cuts to three sections of fence when the fence fell onto the worker. The 900-pound section of fence pinned the worker to the ground, and the grinder landed atop the worker with the switch locked in the "on" position. The grinder was being used without guards because of the oversized blade.
Read a hazard alert about a worker who died while using a handheld grinder to cut a wrought-iron fence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?reportid=33277
Injury Type : Fractures and internal injuries
Core Activity : Farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163270196
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was attempting to bypass-start a tractor from the ground. The tractor engaged in gear and its rear wheels ran over the worker.
Read a hazard alert about an accident in which a worker died while bypass-starting mobile equipment:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=33152
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas well servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800095
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A mobile crane was moving a coiled tubing injector head (a device used to feed continuous piping into and out of a well) from the well head onto the transportation cradle. The load unexpectedly dropped 3 feet and became embedded in the rig matting (wooden mats supporting the drill rig).
Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480218
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker's hand contacted the point of operation on a line collator.
Injury Type : Laceration (1 worker); abrasions, contusions (2 workers)
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137290201
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Three workers were blown down by wind generated by jet engines on the tarmac next to a construction site.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Gravel pit
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480271
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A bulldozer backed into an empty settling pond (no water in the pond) off a 9-foot drop. The operator, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the bulldozer and sustained fatal injuries.
Injury Type : Serious hand injuries
Core Activity : Wooden product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113210119
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was cutting 1x2 wood pieces on a table saw. Finished pieces accumulated behind the saw. The worker shut off the saw and moved to the side to pick up the finished pieces, stumbled, and contacted the still-rotating saw blade with one hand.
View a slide show about housekeeping techniques to prevent slips, trips, and injuries in woodworking shops:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34907
Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Vegetable farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009125400186
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As a worker cleared a jam on a running produce sorting conveyor, his arm contacted the belt and roller.
Injury Type : Bruised back
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270256
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on an unsecured ladder, pushing on a trim board to set it in place, when the ladder slid out from under him. The worker fell about 12 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Orchard
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161970165
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A farm tractor rolled over, fatally injuring the operator.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850207
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A propane-powered recreation vehicle caught fire while refuelling. The ignition source was later found to be the pilot light of the propane refrigerator. A young worker who attempted to extinguish the fire sustained smoke inhalation.
Injury Type : Minor electric shock
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640197
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As an electrician climbed a 6-foot stepladder to test for electrical current in a junction box, the back of his hand brushed wires from a 340-volt lighting circuit.
Injury Type : Lacerated finger
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230272
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was operating a meat slicer when one finger contacted the moving blade.
Injury Type : Shortness of breath
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770250
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A traffic control person experienced shortness of breath shortly after a rock fell from an excavator bucket, striking and rupturing an exposed 2-inch gas line.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230271
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was riding on the tailgate of a moving pickup truck when he fell off and struck his head on the pavement.
Injury Type : Acid burns (non-worker)
Core Activity : Public school district
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102931
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

During a chemistry class, a test tube of heated lauric acid was lowered into a beaker of cold water. A vapour cloud was released, and the heated acid contacted one student. Three adjacent classrooms were evacuated, and several students were treated by emergency medical personnel.
Injury Type : Lacerations
Core Activity : Scaffolding rentals and installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147230188
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was walking through a work yard when he collapsed and fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Fractured leg, bruising
Core Activity : Grapple yarding
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137160098
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was assisting a grapple yarding crew with rigging up for yarding. He entered a hazard area on the landing without permission from the yarder operator and was struck by the grapple.
See a slide show about a similar incident in which the worker died:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=35665
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950564
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A fire was discovered on the 17th level of a concrete residential highrise under construction. The fire consumed building materials and generated smoke damage before being extinguished by the fire department.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110110259
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was painting a second-storey soffit and fascia while standing on a combination step/extension ladder (8 to 10 feet) with its base on a deck. The worker fell off the ladder and landed on the deck.
Injury Type : Fractured foot
Core Activity : Window cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270251
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was on a ladder, cleaning windows at a private residence, when the ladder slid sideways. The worker fell about 12 feet, landing on an uneven cement walkway.
Injury Type : Partial amputation of finger
Core Activity : Bakery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147230186
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As a worker was clearing dough from a muffin depositor, the roller (dough dispenser) was inadvertently activated. One hand was near a hole in the roller. The roller turned a quarter turn, catching the worker's finger and pulling it into the machine.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Asbestos surveying
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700210
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While conducting an asbestos survey, a worker contacted a 7.2-kV primary overhead power line that was lying over a trailer home. An energized power pole had been felled by a chainsaw, and the transformer had been removed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for utilities
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110352
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A backhoe snagged a 14-kV underground conductor while excavating for water and sewer service at a residential construction site. The conductor was pulled away from the connection at the low-profile transformer located about 15 metres from the excavation site.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Cladding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710250
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was using cross braces as a ladder while descending the side of an unfinished building. A brace slipped out from underfoot and the worker fell 11 feet.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850200
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A sling used to lift an air test bushing (about 15 feet long by 2 inches deep and weighing 1,000 pounds) was rigged so the sling eye applied the load to the safety catch of the crane hook during the lift. The safety catch failed, permitting the sling-supported end of the load to fall and hit the concrete floor 15 feet below. No workers were in the area.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880358
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

The jib of a conventional tower crane collided with the jib of a luffing tower crane.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950244
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was digging a trench for the installation of a new 8-inch water valve when it pulled an abandoned 3/4-inch gas service at the 3-inch main. Nearby homes and businesses were evacuated and traffic was re-directed.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Motel
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009138190193
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A person entered a motel office, produced a knife, and demanded money from the front desk clerk. The worker stepped into a room behind the counter and locked the door. The suspect fled the scene.
Read a hazard alert about safe work practices for workplaces with a risk of violence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663
Injury Type : Cuts, abrasions, bruising
Core Activity : Sheathing roof
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970425
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was hooking a lifeline around a ridge truss when the lifeline dislodged. The worker lost his footing and slid down the roof (pitch of 6/12), then fell 29 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750595
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Materials were being lowered on a power ladder when the ladder collapsed. Bolts used to secure the sections of the ladder had not been installed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050251
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A grader was preparing a surface for a curb and sidewalk installation when the blade snagged a 1-inch underground gas line buried near the surface.
Injury Type : Dislocated shoulder and finger
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850274
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker fell about 8 feet from a ladder to a concrete driveway.
Injury Type : Concussion, bruises
Core Activity : House painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270263
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on a 6-foot stepladder, painting the skirting of the upper deck of a home, when the ladder suddenly collapsed. The worker fell about 5 feet to grade, striking his head on the lower deck surface on the way down.
Injury Type : Fractures (2 worker)
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830121
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Two painters were on separate extension ladders, masking a 20-foot-high ceiling in a warehouse. The base of one ladder slid away, causing the base of the other ladder to slide out as well. Both workers fell to the concrete floor.
Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120269
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Two workers were removing water from a ditch using a construction pump (4-inch-diameter trash pump) when the water level in the ditch dropped and the pump began performing poorly. It was decided to switch to a smaller pump. As one worker removed the 4-inch hose from the discharge side of the pump, the pressure inside the pump housing blew the hose off, spraying the other worker with extremely hot water. The investigation into the incident concluded that low water levels allowed air to be sucked into the pump, which caused the pump to cavitate. This prevented the water from discharging and caused the water to heat to a very high temperature and become pressurized within the pump housing.
Injury Type : Scraped legs
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009090580498
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was conducting cleanup duties when he walked onto a stationary lumber transfer deck where a forklift was placing lumber. The forklift operator did not see the worker and he was struck by a load of lumber.
Injury Type : Cuts, scratches
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180145
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was taking a break outside when he noticed an unidentified person in a co-worker's vehicle and asked him to leave. The unidentified person got out of the vehicle and assaulted the worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710257
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator's boom was raised to clear a fence. The boom contacted a 14.4-kV power line. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Compound fracture of leg
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180144
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on a pallet rack, about 5 feet above grade. When the worker jumped down from the pallet rack, one pant leg became caught at shelf level and he landed on his free foot only.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Parking lot construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009152480281
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was sloping the sides of a new parking lot when its bucket snagged the anchor stabilizing a utility pole. The pole, which held an energized 25-kV overhead power line, fell over. The excavator operator was not on site when the utility company arrived.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450293
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A B-train log transporter with a single trailer failed to negotiate a corner on a resource road. The log transporter rolled onto its passenger side. The seat-belted driver was uninjured.
Injury Type : Bruised arms, leg
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158750177
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was removing a cart loaded with frozen food from a walk-in freezer. As the cart was pulled down a ramp it turned to the side, tipped over, and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Equipment installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950587
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While descending a set of stairs, a young worker slipped and fell to the concrete floor below.
Injury Type : Dislocated shoulder
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950253
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was on the peak of a roof with a pitch of 10:12, wearing personal fall protection. When the worker stepped on an unsecured piece of roofing felt, it slid and he fell onto the roof surface.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling foundation pile holes
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930288
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While foundation pile holes were being drilled under a sidewalk, drilling equipment contacted an underground natural gas distribution line. Neighbouring workplaces were evacuated until the line was repaired. No workers were injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Soil cleanup
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930286
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While cleaning the edge of a previously excavated work area, an excavator ruptured an underground gas line.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Fruit harvesting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880174
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was transporting a bin of fruit on the rear fork attachment of a tractor when the tractor slid down an embankment and rolled over.
See a hazard alert about this incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/posters.asp?reportID=35774
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950274
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was being moved. As the bucket was placed down so the excavator could spin, a 2-inch gas line was severed. Almost 400 customers were without service as a result.
Injury Type : Back and neck strain
Core Activity : Excavation for blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113920132
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As an excavator lifted blasting mats into place, it became unstable and rolled onto its boom side. The operator was wearing the provided seat belt and sustained only minor injuries.
Injury Type : Chemical burns to eye
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080302
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker went to the first aid room complaining of particulates in his eye. The first aid attendant mistakenly administered a disinfecting solution to flush the eye.
Injury Type : Electric shock, burns on hand
Core Activity : Metal product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830101
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker installed a new plug on an electrical cable. When he plugged the cable into a 460-volt A/C receptacle, he received an electric shock.
Injury Type : Chemical burns to eye
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080302
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker went to the first aid room complaining of particulates in his eye. The first aid attendant mistakenly administered a disinfecting solution to flush the eye.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mobile crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080242
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

The load line of an 80-ton mobile crawler crane contacted an energized high-voltage overhead power line.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, strains, bruising
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270269
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was on an extension ladder about 16 feet above grade, painting. The ladder twisted away from the building, carrying the worker to the ground.
Injury Type : Injuries to leg
Core Activity : Wildfire danger tree falling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240265
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A faller was attempting to fall two hemlock trees (diameters of 40 and 30 centimetres) that appeared to be limb-tied. The faller prepared the trees to be felled together, making undercuts in both and a backcut and wedge in the leading tree. When the undercut was completed in the rear tree, the trees did not fall. The faller attempted to "fencepost" the rear tree so that the lead tree would fall. When the 1.5-metre fencepost section released, the weight of the rear tree pulled the lead tree in the opposite direction of the intended path. The faller moved down the escape path and was struck by a sapling pushed over by the falling trees. It was later found that the trees were not limb-tied but had actually grown together about 12 metres above the ground.
Injury Type : Eye injury
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050206
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a worker was cutting thin strips of wood on a table saw, a piece broke off and entered the worker's eye. The worker was not wearing eye protection.
Injury Type : Broken bones, mild concussion, puncture wound
Core Activity : Ski hill operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270226
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers were performing routine maintenance on a T-bar ski lift from a lift suspended about 20 feet above grade. The lift was moving the workers to the next tower when one worker was dragged out of the lift by his lanyard, which was still attached to the previous tower. Significant torque was applied to the lift as the worker was dragged out, and the lift broke away from the cable. The second (injured) worker rode the lift to the ground.
Injury Type : Deep laceration to leg
Core Activity : Wooden truss manufacturing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480174
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Straps had dropped behind the rail of a component saw, and a worker climbed onto the saw to retrieve them. When the worker jumped off the saw frame, his leg contacted the edge of the saw rail, which was not running.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Pub
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009138190184
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A person produced a knife and demanded money from the cashier. Once the thief had the money, he fled without further incident.
Read a hazard alert about safe work practices for workplaces with a risk of violence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161761018
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A fire at a wood frame condominium construction site burned a covered framing table occupying about 1,000 square feet. Fire services determined that a faulty extension cord ignited the fire.
Injury Type : Fatal (2 non-workers)
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128220129
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two customers were fatally stabbed inside a restaurant. No workers were involved in the incident.
Injury Type : Broken hip
Core Activity : Residential painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410111
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker was on a roof, painting a gable end. He fell off the roof and landed on concrete 12 feet below.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Cheque cashing business
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600202
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A person entered a store, produced a gun, and ordered a worker to hand over all the money on site. When the thief had the money, he ordered the worker to open the back door and to lock it behind him as he made his escape.
Read a hazard alert about safe work practices for workplaces with a risk of violence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663
Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand
Core Activity : Wooden truss manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009158180206
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker's hand was injured as he tried to remove a staple from a 2x4 while a radial arm saw was still running.
Injury Type : Cracked vertebrae, fractured skull
Core Activity : Waste water treatment plant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870170
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was replacing a PVC line in a separator tank (a confined space). A pump was knocked down into the tank and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009140970234
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was in the paper machine control room when he heard a loud noise. He went to the operating floor, where he discovered that the bottom press felt was missing. The machine was shut down. Two press rolls were found on the floor with the felt bunched up in the middle.
Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Laboratory
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113210104
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker in a lab was transferring 95 percent sulfuric acid from a 4-litre glass bottle into a beaker using a bottletop dispenser. The acid splashed the worker's face and chest.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (7 workers)
Core Activity : Pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009147050456
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A control room filled with smoke when a pump controlling air ventilation malfunctioned.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790103
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker at an oriented strand board production plant was opening an access hatch to look into a cyclone blower. The worker had climbed up a cross-member support and was descending from it when he lost his footing and fell about 32 feet.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to hand
Core Activity : Drug, vitamin, or pharmaceutical manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100738
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a young worker was performing maintenance on a ribbon blender, one hand was caught in the rotary blade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810128
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A boulder, located underneath a gas line, was removed and relocated by hand so that a backhoe could scoop and lift it out of a shallow trench. While on a slight slope, the backhoe lost control of the boulder and it rolled back onto the gas line it had been moved from. This disconnected the coupling from a previous repair, releasing gas until the utility company was able to make repairs.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Cable logging
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480243
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A loaded water truck was travelling up a logging road with a grade of 22 percent when it lost power and rolled back downhill. The service brakes could not stop the truck and it eventually rolled over onto its roof. The driver had never driven this truck before.
Injury Type : Bruises
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870157
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

While a self-erecting crane was landing a load on the third floor of a building under construction, a young worker stepped backwards off an open side. He fell 9 feet to the floor below.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, arm, leg
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950226
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was on the deck of a house (about 15 feet above grade), moving a sheet of plywood. The worker fell from the deck and landed on a parked car below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290461
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator was straddling the trench for an underground utility, off centre, when the pavement edge gave way and the right track of the excavator slid into the trench. The excavator's boom struck an unoccupied vehicle nearby, breaking a side window and damaging the door frame and roof.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290462
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An underground gas line (1 1/8 inch) was ruptured during excavation of a trench containing gas and data utilities. The gas line had been marked and located, but an excavator had slid into the trench earlier in the day and the trench had then been filled in to protect the gas line while the excavator was removed. The job site and neighbouring 126-bed residence were evacuated until the leak was repaired.
Injury Type : Serious lacerations
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700183
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was grinding concrete with a handheld grinder when the grinder's abrasive cup stone shattered.
Read a hazard alert about a similar incident in which a worker was fatally injured:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=33277
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550190
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Workers were shortening a swing stage that was suspended from a building exterior between the eleventh and third floors. A motor fell from the swing stage platform, where it had been placed temporarily.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750539
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Wood frame re-shore units (10 feet x 10 feet x 25 feet and 2,000 pounds) were being dismantled. A worker removed support braces from one unit, which became unstable and fell towards the worker. A 400-pound side wall component pinned the worker to the floor.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to legs
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009153370176
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A gas bar attendant (young worker) was washing the back window of a customer's van when a second vehicle ran into him. The worker was pinned between the two vehicles.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Log booming
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009137160075
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A 16-foot boom boat (sidewinder) was pushing a bundle of logs onto a log lift when the boat caught on the lift. As the machine started to lift the bundle of logs, the boom boat slid into the water and began to sink. The boat operator exited the submerged vessel and swam to nearby boom sticks.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Metal manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009093720187
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A crane mast failed. The plant area was barricaded while awaiting approval to proceed with the recovery operation.
Injury Type : Fractured, dislocated finger
Core Activity : Log home manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450253
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker noticed a loose drive chain at the head rig outfeed. The millwright correctly applied a lock, following the head rig lockout procedures. On the last step in the lockout procedure, the millwright completed his security test. The security test failed due to a faulty switch. Meanwhile, the sawyer had entered the hazard area without securing the outfeed. During the failed security test, the sawyer's hand became entangled in the outfeed chain, at the sprocket. There is no line of sight between the security test location and the area where the injury occurred.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wooden pole manufacturing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009143950176
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A fire started in the retort at a wood pole manufacturing plant. Workers attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers before calling the fire department.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Lumber mill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530307
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker was piling boards in a lumber mill when one glove got caught in a drive pulley.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, punctured lung
Core Activity : Seine fishing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009161530150
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker on the beach was knocked into the water after being struck by his beachline (used to tie a seine fishing vessel net to the beach). The beachline had been secured to a tree strap that parted under tension from the setting of the net.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Commercial garbage collection
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410213
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A pedestrian died as a result of a motor vehicle accident involving a garbage truck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009113820240
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

During the construction of a logging road, fly rock from a blast struck and damaged two vehicles that had been driven into the danger area.
Watch a slide show about another fly rock incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34853
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site surface preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120253
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator was travelling along a roadway. As it crested the top of a hill, its boom contacted an overhead 7.2-kV power line.
Injury Type : Soreness
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600191
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A tractor pulling two flatbed trailers of 3-high lumber packages took a wide turn to enter an open gate. The trailers and load flopped off the shoulder of the road, turned onto their side, and pulled the tractor cab with them.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530300
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A natural gas service line was ruptured during excavation for a sewer line. Local residences were evacuated until the gas company shut off the gas flow.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490305
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A skid-steer front-end loader with an auger attachment was digging a hole for the installation of school playground equipment. The auger contacted an energized underground conductor.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155730167
Date of Incident: 2009-Aug

A homeowner was laying out floor joists on the second floor of a home under construction when he stepped backward onto an unsecured joist that twisted. He fell about 20 feet to gravel below. No form of fall protection was in use.
Injury Type : Bruising to head, neck, back, hands
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009116080316
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

At an acute care facility, a psychiatric patient leapt over the intake-area counter and repeatedly punched a nurse.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae and facial bones
Core Activity : Residential tree falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920201
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An unregistered tree faller/topper was attempting to fall a slender (7 inches in diameter) 55-foot-tall tree in a homeowner's backyard. The tree struck a 10-foot-high stub about 20 feet away. The tree rocked on the stub, kicked back, and struck the faller.
Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker); serious injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Barge operations
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930270
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers were travelling back to their employer's home base when they were involved in a single-vehicle MVA. Their vehicle rolled over, and both workers were ejected from the vehicle. One worker sustained fatal injuries. The second worker (a young worker) suffered numerous serious injuries.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Blueberry farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163270181
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A blueberry picker was run over by a motor vehicle backing up.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980274
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator ruptured a 3/4-inch gas line while excavating for a driveway.
Injury Type : Arm and chest pain
Core Activity : Research diving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700182
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was in the boat after completing a second dive when he experienced arm and chest pains.
Injury Type : Serious burns to arm, neck
Core Activity : Auto service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030336
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a worker was removing antifreeze from a radiator, the upper radiator hose dislodged from the engine.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Equipment rentals
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050222
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A crane operator was preparing a 24-ton mobile crane for transport when the lifting chain doubled up on itself, causing the three-part block to fall and swing into an overhead electrical line.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, lung injury
Core Activity : Siding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080238
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was installing siding while standing on a manufactured sawhorse (about 3 feet above grade). The sawhorse was resting on uneven and unstable ground. The worker fell off the sawhorse, onto a wooden crate.
Injury Type : Fatal (missing and presumed drowned)
Core Activity : Helicopter operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009114050277
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A helicopter was helping to fight a wildfire. It hovered above a river, filling a water bucket attached to the aircraft by a long line. Suddenly the helicopter fell into the river, and the pilot (the lone occupant) was swept downstream by the fast current.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980282
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator was digging drainage for a commercial business when it ruptured a 2-inch gas main.
Injury Type : Leg abrasion, bruising
Core Activity : Installing rebar cage
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710235
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

While moving an 18-metre-long rebar cage, a zoom-boom forklift became unstable and tipped onto one side. Two riggers operating tag lines were not injured; the forklift operator sustained minor injuries.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (6 workers)
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009157440205
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An edger operator heard a bang and immediately noticed flames beside the edger. By the time he had radioed to report a fire, flames had reached the ceiling. The mill was evacuated, but the edger operator and five nearby workers suffered from smoke inhalation. Local firefighters extinguished the blaze, whose cause is unknown.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for water line repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520230
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

While digging for water line repair, an excavator contacted a primary conductor, causing problems in the nearby primary transformer.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490294
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

The operator of an empty log transporter was injured when the truck failed to negotiate a right-hand curve and travelled into the ditch on the left side of the roadway.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670202
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A work platform with a telescoping boom was being used to install windows. When the platform needed to be repositioned, the boom was retracted and traffic control was set up. A car travelling at high speed contacted the base of the platform.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Equipment transport
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670204
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker drove a large forklift onto a low-bed transport truck. The worker had exited the cab when the forklift rolled off the side of the trailer and landed on its side.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570099
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A tandem dump truck backed in and dumped its load, then pulled ahead with the box still raised. The box caught and broke overhead power and communications lines.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Backhoe operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950528
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A backhoe was digging a trench in a roadway when its bucket ruptured a gas line (60.3 mm in diameter) about 0.7 metres below grade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490100
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

At an active sour gas processing facility (a facility that produces hydrogen sulfide gas), a 4-inch pipeline ruptured, releasing sour gas into the atmosphere at the site. Workers were immediately notified of the rupture and release, and they evacuated the site. The emergency shutdown system for the plant was successfully activated without injury or exposure to the four workers employed in the area.
Injury Type : Leg wound
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110343
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was trying to clear a jam in a pneumatic-coil nail gun. He rested the gun on his leg while he worked on it. When he closed the nail chamber cover, the gun discharged a 2.25-inch spiral nail into his leg.
Read a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Scrapes, bruises
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160198
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was waiting for a forklift to remove a waste container. Behind him, a second forklift backed up with a load of wood. It struck and pinned him against the waste container.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Moving an oil and gas drilling rig
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820219
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A pole truck was lifting and separating a laid-down derrick (an oil and gas drilling derrick) when the structural beams on the derrick bent. The wrong lifting points were being used.
Injury Type : Crushed fingertip
Core Activity : Smelter
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009093720199
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker's finger got caught in the pinch point of an anode rack.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Erecting steel I-beams
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810108
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a worker cut the last of three steel bands off a 13-foot bundle of I-beams, the I-beams suddenly released and landed on his leg.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Framing and forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810102
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A tracked excavator was re-positioning a trench cage when the knuckle of its boom contacted an overhead 14.4-kV power line. An emergency crew from the utility company came to the site. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Face and back injuries
Core Activity : Forest fire fighting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980269
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was felling a 25-foot hemlock tree (10 inches in diameter) on a slope. As it fell, the tree became hung up on two saplings. As the worker tried to fell the saplings, the hemlock came free and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Scratches, bruises
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730214
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers were loading an old refrigerator onto the back of a 5-ton truck when the truck started to roll backwards down a hill. One worker jumped clear of the truck and sustained no injuries. The other worker held on to the back of the truck as it struck two parked vehicles and a telephone pole. The truck did not have wheel chocks in place, and the emergency brake was not adjusted properly.
Injury Type : Concussion, head laceration
Core Activity : Retail bakery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960290
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker accessing a storage room fell through an open, unguarded floor hatch.
Injury Type : Ammonia inhalation (2 workers)
Core Activity : Fruit or vegetable packing and storage
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009095610350
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers inhaled ammonia released from a faulty isolation valve on a roof-mounted compressor.
Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Product delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810100
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A boom truck was travelling along a residential street. While making a left-hand turn, the vehicle tipped onto the driver's side.
Injury Type : Minor injuries to head
Core Activity : Home renovation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155730154
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was standing on a ladder pulling nails from wood siding. The worker slipped and fell 4 feet to the concrete surface below.
Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830162
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was on a ladder (16 feet above ground) painting fascia boards on a house when the ladder slipped out from under him.
Injury Type : Heat stress, temporary loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270249
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A roofer (young worker) fainted from heat stress while on the ground.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240229
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A thief claiming to be armed with a gun demanded money from a restaurant cashier. The cashier handed over the money from the cash register and the thief left.
Injury Type : Crush injuries
Core Activity : Cruise ship operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950510
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was using a chain hoist (half-ton capacity) to install a loading bay work platform on the port side of a cruise ship. The steel platform (about 500 kg) was dislodged and fell from its position, striking and pinning the worker on the ship's deck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gantry crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102866
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An employer-manufactured gantry hoist was hoisting and moving a power generator (60--70 tons) when the structure failed. The load fell, narrowly missing workers.
Injury Type : Cuts to arm and body
Core Activity : Brushing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480224
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was using a chainsaw to cut down vegetation growing around seedlings when he fell onto the running chainsaw bar.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Lawn maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850151
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A tractor lawn mower ejected a rock (1.5-inch circumference) through the open door of an adjacent building. The rock narrowly missed three workers at the reception desk before striking a computer.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Planer mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120191
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A self-propelled telescopic boom lift was being serviced from the ground when its boom contacted a 25-kV power line.
Injury Type : Fractured hip
Core Activity : Control panel manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108620125
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was carrying material while descending a 6-foot stepladder. He lost his footing and fell to the concrete floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132534
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A remotely operated tower crane was moving about 5,000 pounds of concrete siding material from a flatbed truck to a job site. The material was hoisted over an exterior deck while the tower crane operator moved to the upper deck to land the load. The brakes did not hold the load, and the material landed on the upper exterior deck, then slid down onto a lower deck.
Injury Type : Amputated finger, broken finger
Core Activity : Pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009110210107
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was inserting wood blocks in a wood grinder when he lost his footing.
Injury Type : Amputation of hand
Core Activity : Shake and shingle mill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108440292
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was trimming cedar shingles when his hand contacted the running blade of the band saw.
Injury Type : Injuries to ribs, lung, shoulder
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600154
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was on a ladder, trimming branches off a maple tree. As one branch was cut, it fell against the ladder, and the worker fell about 20 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Ranching
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009140970199
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During extreme weather (suspected tornado), a worker was about to seek shelter in a barn when the barn collapsed. The worker was pinned between rafters of the fallen barn and the vehicle that he had exited.
Injury Type : Head laceration, possible concussion
Core Activity : Formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710194
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was dismantling formwork and falsework when a piece of 3/4-inch plywood (2 feet by 5 feet) came free and struck him.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161740137
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A faller bucking the roots off a windfall ended up underneath the roots with fatal injuries.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Dredging
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670160
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was fatally injured when a pneumatically operated flap valve (26-inch diameter) on a dredge suction line was inadvertently activated and closed. The worker was pinned between a bulkhead and the external moving parts of the valve.
Injury Type : Fatal (2 workers)
Core Activity : Aircraft operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830057
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A twin-engine airplane crashed with two workers on board.
Injury Type : Shattered bones
Core Activity : Road paving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270182
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was unloading a packer from the back of a 3-ton flatbed truck parked on a 10 percent grade. After the worker had inched the packer forward to slacken the tie-down chains, the truck began to move forward. The worker jumped, landing on the pavement.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Crawler crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410070
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Two workers were rigging a load to a crawler crane's number 1 main line when the number 2 main line released and swung like a pendulum. The headache ball on the number 2 line struck one of the workers, who dove over nearby material to avoid being struck again on the return swing.
Injury Type : Electric shock, head laceration
Core Activity : Elevator servicing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009112010025
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

While working on top of an elevator car, a worker contacted a live 270-volt wire. The electrical current caused the worker to repeatedly hit his head against a wall until he was able to break free.
Injury Type : Injuries to neck, head
Core Activity : Sewer system installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950501
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator was being used to hoist and install a precast concrete manhole in an excavation. A worker standing in the excavation, adjacent to the manhole barrel, was struck by the manhole lid (weighing 5,390 pounds).
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Oil and gas trucking
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490095
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An oil field tank truck was leaving an oil production facility hauling a load of produced water. The access road was muddy and very slippery, and the truck began to slide into the ditch. The driver stopped the truck. As the truck sat on the edge of the road, the shoulder gave way and the truck slid sideways into the ditch and rolled onto its side.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570071
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was hammering a block wall with a hydraulic breaker (jackhammer) attached to a skid-steer front-end loader, about 10 feet above grade. The breaker component dislodged from the front boom, landing in the cab.
Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Drywall installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670158
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

On a construction site, a worker exiting the building was struck by a falling tool. The tool had been dropped inadvertently by a worker on a telescoping work platform several storeys up.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770203
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was doing roofing work from the top of a 24-foot aluminum extension ladder. The feet of the ladder were placed on a partial sheet of plywood, which in turn was placed on top of roofing debris in a garbage disposal bin. The base of the ladder moved, causing the worker to fall backwards about 20 feet and land on the top edge of the bin.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270173
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Workers were adjusting trusses to correct the roof profile of an octagon-shaped building under construction. To make the adjustments, they removed one brace. Five minutes later they heard a loud snap at the opposite end of the roof. The entire roof structure, about 36 trusses, collapsed into the building.
Injury Type : Loss of consciousness, scrapes
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009157580172
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker entered a confined space (about 230 cm deep by 100 cm diameter) to shut the valve on a 2-inch water line. When the worker reached the bottom of the space and leaned over the valve, he lost consciousness. A worker who was standing by called for help. Three workers removed the unconscious worker from the confined space.
View three short videos about identifying, testing, and rescuing from confined spaces:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=35168
Injury Type : Chest and back injuries (2 workers)
Core Activity : Ambulance operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850176
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During an emergency call, an ambulance was involved in a motor vehicle crash. Both paramedics in the vehicle were injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110268
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A 10-ton load of pile pipe (70 feet long, 36 inches in diameter) was being lifted by two separate machines. At one end of the load was a 20-ton hoist with a non-rotating telescopic boom. At the other end was a 36-ton forklift. The load became unstable, causing the hoist to fall over.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Electrical installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830053
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Two workers were moving an electrical cabinet (946 pounds) from a wooden pallet onto the forks of a hand pallet jack. The cabinet fell over and landed on one of the workers (a young worker).
Injury Type : Injuries to head, neck
Core Activity : Convenience store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009112010022
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During an attempted robbery, a worker in a convenience store was assaulted.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Brushing under power line
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009116090014
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker felled a sapling onto an energized high-voltage power line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710220
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator boom contacted the neutral line located below three 12-kV overhead power lines. When the boom was moved away, the utility pole holding up the overhead power lines began to sway. Two overhead power lines moved into close proximity, resulting in an electrical arc flash, tripped fuse, and power outage.
Injury Type : Serious injuries
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810095
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was seriously injured when he fell about 16 feet from a roof to the ground (concrete). No fall protection system was in place.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mushroom farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163270168
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Fire destroyed the production facility at a mushroom farm.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132542
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

The jib of a lower tower crane contacted the load line of a higher tower crane.
Injury Type : Fractured nose, lacerated face
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530258
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was turning a water valve when the water pressure blew a 2-inch steel cap off the pipe. The cap struck the worker.
Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker); serious injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Travelling to worksite
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480212
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Two young workers were travelling to a worksite when their vehicle rear-ended a 5-ton van making a left turn. The worker in the passenger's seat died; the worker who was driving suffered serious injuries.
Injury Type : Injured shoulder
Core Activity : Heavy equipment repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730210
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was working on the engine of a truck parked uphill on a very steep incline. A strong gust of wind pushed the hood down onto the worker, knocking him to the ground.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009119700137
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During construction of a home, a non-worker was on a 6-foot stepladder when he fell to the ground (about 4 feet), sustaining fatal injuries.
Injury Type : Bruised leg and arm
Core Activity : Installing soffits
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710217
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was on a stepladder near the edge of the 11th floor of a high-rise building. The worker fell off the stepladder and dropped about 4 feet before his personal fall arrest system stopped his fall. The worker pulled himself back up onto the 11th floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710214
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

While digging in a tree planter, an excavator damaged the conduit housing a high-voltage (12-kV) conductor. The lines inside the conduit were not damaged and the outer casing was repaired.
Injury Type : Hand injury
Core Activity : Water bombing fires
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450244
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A single-engine water bomber crashed and sank while attempting the first skim fill of the shift. The aircraft's landing gear may not have been retracted.
Injury Type : Back pain and swelling, difficulty breathing
Core Activity : Steel stud installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710213
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was working from a two-step drywall sawhorse when he fell. The worker reported that he fell because the sawhorse shook.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030306
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was descending from the top of an entrance archway onto a scaffold system when he fell about 5 feet to the pavement.
Injury Type : Exposure to a noxious substance
Core Activity : Oil or gas operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530256
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Someone threw a rock through the window of an office, then released a noxious substance (suspected to be pepper spray) into the office. When workers arrived at the office, they experienced throat and nose irritation and started coughing. All workers were sent home.
Injury Type : Respiratory irritation, chest pain
Core Activity : Home improvement centre
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009119270060
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Workers and customers were evacuated from a store after a pungent, irritating odour was detected. One worker needed medical treatment.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries (several workers)
Core Activity : Tree fruit harvesting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880123
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A helicopter had been hired to hover over an orchard and blow rainwater off fruit to prevent cracking. Workers picking fruit were not cleared from the orchard when the helicopter arrived. The rotorwash caused workers to fall off their ladders, ladders to fall onto workers on the ground, and galvanized picking pails to become airborne.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160811
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was securing a load on a flat-deck truck. He climbed on top of the load (7 to 8 feet above grade), tripped, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157530211
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was removing a temporary power conduit located inside a live electrical service panel (600-volt) when he contacted the bus bars with the conduit.
Injury Type : Partially amputated finger
Core Activity : Planer mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120203
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was moving fallen 2x4 boards off a limit switch arm using a pike pole that was anchored to an outfeed chain. The pole jammed in the chain run, flung backwards, and pushed the worker's fingers against the stacker infeed chains.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450242
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A planerman entered a trim saw house to change a 22-inch trim saw blade. Just as he finished changing the blade, a worker inadvertently restarted the saw system. The planerman immediately exited the saw house area. Earlier, his lockout procedure had been interrupted when another worker tried to troubleshoot a separate problem. The planerman had not finished applying all of the locks required to lock out the saw blades securely.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Resort operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530249
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A former employee came to a workplace while intoxicated and provoked a heated discussion with a worker. The worker felt threatened and left the area to get help from a supervisor. No injuries were sustained.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Overpass construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700167
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A torch was being used to cut the top of metal girders on an abutment wall. The expanded polystyrene insulation behind the foundation wall caught fire.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160194
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A runaway log went past the chokerman and struck another log. The struck log scissored back, striking the chokerman in the back.
Injury Type : Fractured shoulder, broken ribs
Core Activity : Tree topping
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160809
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

To top a tree, a worker was on an extension ladder leaned against the tree, about 20 feet above grade. When the cut was completed, the top of the tree fell and struck the worker. The worker then fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Auto service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870115
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A wooden racking system collapsed when a worker gave the racking a push.
Injury Type : Strained back, hip
Core Activity : Hydro-vac services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490268
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

To locate a broken water line, a worker was hydro-vacuuming an excavation underneath a mobile home. The excavation sides collapsed onto the worker's lower legs, causing him to stumble.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120208
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was standing next to a service truck on the shoulder of the road when he was struck by a passing transport truck.
Injury Type : Serious injuries to head and upper body
Core Activity : Taxi service
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490092
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

In the early morning hours, a taxi was dispatched to pick up a passenger outside an apartment building. The passenger got into the taxi, pulled out a wrench, and severely beat the driver.
Injury Type : Concussion, bruising, abrasion
Core Activity : Installing brick fascia
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950513
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Wooden shoring posts and hydraulic jacks were being used to raise deflected areas of a suspended concrete slab within a concrete low-rise building. A wooden shore post (4 inches by 6 inches by 95 inches) fell from the seventh floor and struck a worker on a hydra-lift work platform at the fourth-floor level. The post glanced off the worker's hard hat before striking him.
Injury Type : Possible concussion (1 worker); lacerated foot, sprained arm (1 worker)
Core Activity : Tug and barge operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161530138
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A tugboat capsized while towing a fuel barge.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Whitewater rafting
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009139050058
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

On a whitewater rafting trip, two rafts spilled guests and one guide into the river. One guest drowned.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450235
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

At a commercial construction site, lubrication pits were covered with 3/8-inch plywood hatch covers. A worker walked onto a hatch cover, it failed, and he then fell 5 feet 10 inches to a metal mezzanine, sustaining fatal injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120204
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator working in a roadway near a mall and homes ruptured a 2-inch gas line. Gas flowed for about an hour before it was stopped.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050173
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Hand locating was done during ground preparations for installing new utility services. Despite this, a gas line was contacted, gas entered a private home, and extensive fire damage occurred.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Seismic blasting
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2009161740142
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A non-worker cut the detonating cord of an explosive initiation device. WorkSafeBC and government authorities were consulted before the blaster successfully detonated the explosives.
Injury Type : Lacerated hand
Core Activity : Logging operations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160195
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A faller was using a chainsaw to prepare a back cut when he tried to move a twig with one hand. Either the twig caught in the chain and pulled his hand in, or his hand slipped off the twig into the chain.
Injury Type : Crushed hand
Core Activity : Plywood manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009157380217
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker opened the inspection plate to a small conveyor to check for moisture. The conveyor, which was not locked out, cycled automatically while the worker's hand was inside.
Injury Type : Serious hand injuries
Core Activity : Retail bakery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100649
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was feeding dough into the feed rolls of a dough sheeter. While reaching for dough that was not feeding properly, the worker's hand was pulled into the press rolls.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Culvert installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157530187
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator was digging a trench for a culvert when it contacted a guide wire between two utility poles. Two energized 14.4-kV power lines were dislodged from their insulators.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Delivery of rental equipment
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570067
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A truck was towing a trailer with an extendable boom forklift on it. When the truck turned left, the trailer dislodged from the truck, overturned, and landed on its side at the edge of the road.
Injury Type : Amputation of fingertip
Core Activity : Residential renovation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960254
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

The bucket of a mini excavator was being used to pry up the base of a portable wheelchair lift from a concrete pad. The worker removed a bolt and the frame inadvertently moved. The worker's hand was pinched between the frame and the deck.

2009 April - Jun

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113920102
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A backhoe was removing soil to help expose a 6-inch 60-psi natural gas distribution pipeline. A worker was following the backhoe and hand exposing the line about every 8 feet. At one point the backhoe took another bite and tore off an abandoned 6-inch service T, causing a release of natural gas. The flow continued uncontrolled for 9 hours.
Injury Type : Partial amputation of fingers
Core Activity : Wooden truss manufacture
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009157440282
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was using a chop saw when he saw a sliver of wood fall into the saw housing. Without locking out the saw, he opened the side door to remove the sliver. His hand contacted the rotating blade.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, punctured lungs
Core Activity : Cleaning dump truck wheel rims
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480196
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker raised a loaded dump truck with a 20-ton hydraulic jack in order to buff the truck's aluminum rims. When the jack either failed or kicked out, the worker was pinned under the truck's wheels. The worker, who was working alone, remained pinned for 5 to 6 hours before managing to free himself and drive to hospital.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Recreation complex
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950155
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A refrigeration plant pressure safety valve released, and the ventilation system discharged ammonia outside the building. Some of the discharged ammonia was drawn back into the building through the air intake. The smell of ammonia was detected inside the building.
Injury Type : Serious lacerations
Core Activity : Second-hand store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009117640419
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A non-worker was trying to drop off used goods at a charity-run store. When he was told he could not drop off any items because it was past the time limit for the day, he became violent and pushed a worker through a plate glass window (5 feet by 7 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410059
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Windows were being installed on the 32nd floor of a newly constructed highrise. A worker had placed a window into an opening when he was called away to do a different task. Another worker was assigned to finish installing the window. The second worker did not realize that the window was unsecured. As he began to work, the window fell out of the building and landed on the ground, 20 feet outside the marked danger area.
Injury Type : Fractured leg and vertebrae (1 worker); contusions and bruising (2 workers)
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100637
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During construction of a new wood frame building, a temporary work platform had been constructed across a corridor at a height of 9 feet. During teardown, a 2x6 lumber bearer broke. The platform collapsed and 3 workers on the platform fell to the plywood subfloor below.
Injury Type : Broken foot
Core Activity : Gutter installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750466
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was removing a gutter when he fell nearly 12 feet to a concrete sidewalk, striking a deck landing on the way down. Fall protection equipment had been provided but was not being worn.
Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050155
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

As a worker was lighting a charbroiler in the kitchen of a restaurant, a flashover occurred. Propane had accumulated in the lines after a first attempt to light the charbroiler.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pipeline construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490096
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Two sections of pipeline (900 metres and 234 metres) needed to be welded together before being lowered down a bore hole. (A bore hole is drilled to allow a pipeline to be installed below ground by excavating the surface.) The bore hole had been drilled down the steep slope of a hill. Workers were trying to pull one of the pipe sections into position to weld the two sections together. As part of the process of pulling the pipe through the bore hole, one of the large dozers that would pull the pipe had to be repositioned. The 900-metre section of pipe buckled, pulled free from the anchor holding it in position, and rolled downslope 500 metres.
Injury Type : Impalement wound
Core Activity : Cladding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880250
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was climbing onto a 4-foot-high concrete planter when he lost his footing and fell onto an unguarded length of rebar.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Waste container recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009145570076
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker climbed into the feed hopper of an energized waste materials baler. The machine cycled, fatally injuring the worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Underground utility installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009161980220
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator was digging a trench for the installation of underground electrical services when it ruptured a 3/4-inch gas line. The release of natural gas could not be immediately isolated, so workers in surrounding buildings were evacuated.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Waste disposal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730177
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A roll-off type disposal truck was travelling on a roadway with its rails raised. The rails struck an overpass, causing structural damage to the overpass as well as significant damage to the truck.
Watch a slide show about a similar incident in which the driver died:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/ multimedia/slideshows.asp?reportid=34316
Injury Type : Foot injuries
Core Activity : Building supply sales and delivery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970326
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A forklift was loading materials onto a trailer truck. As the forklift backed away, its rear wheels ran over the foot of the truck driver, who was strapping the load.
Injury Type : Lacerated hand
Core Activity : Siding, awning, or gutter installation, service, or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670148
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was operating a cordless skill saw when it kicked back.
Injury Type : Exposure to organophosphate insecticides (21 workers)
Core Activity : Recycling facility
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009104070098
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During sorting at a recycling facility, workers noticed a strong odour. Twenty-one workers developed nausea and headaches and were sent to hospital for observation. The building was evacuated and a hazardous materials team was brought in. The team collected five pesticide containers from the sorting area. Either one or two kinds of organophosphate insecticide had spilled. Ventilation of the building continues.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utilities installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110262
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During the installation of a 6-inch storm drain line, the excavator's bucket struck the 3-inch conduit of a 3-phase underground electrical distribution system (600 volts).
Injury Type : Possible exposure to asbestos (8 workers, including 2 young workers)
Core Activity : Commercial renovations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113210089
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Eight workers (including 2 young workers) may have been exposed to asbestos while renovating an old shopping mall. They removed double-layered drywall whose mud contained chrysotile asbestos (between 1 and 10 percent).
See a list of references about preventing exposure to asbestos:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/Construction/ HazardousMaterials.asp?ReportID=34092
Injury Type : Burns to arm and back
Core Activity : Heavy equipment manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165590033
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

As a worker was welding together two pieces of stainless steel, the worker's clothing caught fire.
Injury Type : Exposure to engine exhaust gases, including carbon monoxide (2 workers, including 1 young worker)
Core Activity : Pressure washing underground parkade
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009107200090
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Two workers (one of them a young worker) were using gas-powered pressure washers in an underground parkade. After about 3 hours of pressure washing, one worker called the supervisor and reported feeling ill. The fire department attended and measured hazardous levels of carbon monoxide (up to 500 ppm) in the parkade.
See a hazard alert about two carpet cleaners who died from exposure to carbon monoxide:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?reportid=34979
Injury Type : Possible concussion and fractures; hand and facial injuries
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410146
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A traffic control person was struck by a truck.
See a hazard alert about the risks of working in traffic control zones:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35319
Injury Type : Possible exposure to asbestos (unknown number of workers)
Core Activity : Institutional building renovations
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009163500182
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During a renovation project spanning more than 6 months, workers were unaware of asbestos-containing material at the site. Later testing showed that the flooring and sheet backing, both of which were disturbed during the renovations, contained asbestos. Workers from several companies were employed on the site and may have been exposed.
See a list of references about preventing exposure to asbestos:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/ Construction/HazardousMaterials.asp?ReportID=34092
Injury Type : Crush injury to hand
Core Activity : Bakery operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290355
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was operating a sheeter machine. This machine is fed dough, which it compresses between rollers to remove excess air. The machine then folds the dough in preparation for a loaf to be readied for the oven. As the worker removed excess flour from the feeder deck, one finger contacted the compression rollers and the hand was drawn in. The emergency stop guarding bar then stopped the machine.
Injury Type : Respiratory difficulties
Core Activity : Auto service and repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009129920155
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A young worker had serious difficulty breathing after aerosol containers of pepper spray (bear spray) were destroyed at an adjacent recycling depot.
Injury Type : Possible high-voltage contact
Core Activity : Pressure washing exterior of building
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550167
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was in a boom lift, about 24 feet above grade, pressure washing the outside of a building. A passerby noticed the worker in distress and called emergency responders. Burn marks on the lift (one on a tire and rim, and the other on a tie-down hook) suggest that an electrical contact occurred.
Injury Type : Fractured skull, laceration, possible internal injuries
Core Activity : Golf course maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160774
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A young worker was riding a mower, rolling golf course greens that were very wet from a recent rainfall. While travelling between greens, the mower lost traction and its tires slid. The mower went over a rock face in a bunker and landed on its wheels about 3 feet below the surface of the greens.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161970066
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A mini-excavator struck and severed a 2-inch residential gas line on a residential lot.
Injury Type : Shoulder injury
Core Activity : Manual falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600131
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A faller was putting an undercut into a 14-inch-diameter hemlock when he was struck on the shoulder by a danger tree that collapsed from uphill. The danger tree was 20 feet high and 5 inches in diameter.
Read an investigation report about an incident in which a faller died when he was struck by a danger tree:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/ AccidentInvestigations/IR-PrimaryResources.asp?ReportID=34625
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Berry farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009125400113
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A tractor reversed unexpectedly, pinning the leg of a nearby worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Elevator installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850160
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During the installation of a two-storey elevator motor, the fibre rope attached to the lifting device failed and the motor fell down the elevator shaft (about 20 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670133
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker on a telescoping boom lift was trying to elevate the work platform between a high-voltage line and a 10-foot guard wire flagged by the utility company. He inadvertently contacted one phase of a 3-phase 25-kV circuit.
Injury Type : Bruising on chest and stomach
Core Activity : Tree removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157530175
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

As a worker was topping a tree, the trunk split open below the undercut. The worker was pulled into the tree and pinned there by his harness. The tree top broke off, releasing the worker. The worker was then shaken down the tree about 6 feet until he regained his grip around the tree.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Stone masonry
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870071
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A tractor was digging for a stone garden bed when it struck an underground gas line.
Injury Type : Internal injuries, fractures, contusions
Core Activity : Gardening work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670132
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was loading a trailer that was hitched to a pickup truck. The worker had moved the truck forward and exited the cab when the truck started to roll downhill. The worker tried to re-enter the moving truck and was run over by the trailer.
Injury Type : Multiple lacerations and contusions
Core Activity : Abrasive blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009107200084
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker (pot tender) accessed the area under the pressurized sand blasting pot to change a sand blasting hose. While changing the hose at the manifold, the worker was struck by pressurized abrasive grit released from an adjacent hose connection.
Injury Type : Broken arm
Core Activity : Hauling boat trailer
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790072
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A backhoe was loading a boat trailer onto the deck of a truck. When the trailer was loaded, the backhoe backed away. One hoisting chain had not been completely detached. The hoisting chain rotated the trailer, knocking a worker from the truck's deck to the ground.
Injury Type : Pelvic injury
Core Activity : Berry farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670135
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A farm worker was pulling weeds between berry bushes, head down, when he was run over by a rough-terrain vehicle.
Injury Type : Injury to leg
Core Activity : Vacuum truck operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110223
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was vacuuming the water reservoir of a stone-cutting machine when the vacuum hose snagged two nearby stone slabs standing on edge on a wheeled A-frame cart. The stone slabs (a countertop and a desktop) started to tip off the A-frame. The worker tried to stabilize the slabs by putting his leg against them but they fell over onto his leg.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Food product manufacturing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410140
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was pulling a cart loaded with food, weighing about 150 kilograms, to a packaging area. The cart tipped over onto the worker. The worker's head struck the concrete floor.
Injury Type : Brain injury, lacerations
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137290104
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was manually manoeuvring a window when it toppled onto him, knocking him to the pavement.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155730114
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was standing on a baker's scaffold, about 11 feet above a concrete surface, when the scaffold tipped over.
Injury Type : Non-injury
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640118
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During construction of a condominium, a waterproof membrane was being applied using a propane torch. The inside of a wall caught fire and the building became fully engulfed.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Plastic recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128220079
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was found unresponsive near an open 480-volt panel on an extrusion machine.
Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Pizza delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009112010012
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A delivery worker was struck by a motor vehicle while crossing a public street.
Injury Type : Cuts and bruises
Core Activity : Loading ladder onto work vehicle
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770189
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker fell from a wooden stepladder while attempting to secure an extension ladder to the rack of a work vehicle.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640114
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator ruptured a gas line during the installation of underground utilities.
Injury Type : Electric shock
Core Activity : Electrical installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710164
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An electrical worker was moving past an open electrical panel when he brushed against a 16-gauge 600-volt wire. The worker felt a tingling in his arms as the current entered one forearm and exited the other.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009104270141
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was driving a powered pallet jack up a slightly inclined dock plate while entering a trailer at a loading dock. As the pallet jack travelled over the hinged portion of the docking plate, its back end swerved into a nearby worker.
Injury Type : Inhalation of chlorine gas (1 worker, 3 non-workers)
Core Activity : Pool service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009093690174
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Pool chemicals containing hydrochloric acid and sodium hypochlorite were inadvertently mixed, resulting in the release of chlorine gas. One worker and three non-workers were exposed to unknown concentrations of chlorine gas.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Film production
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110210086
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

While re-patching cable, a worker fell 11 feet from a raised platform.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270162
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator was clearing trees and bushes from the yard of a house to be demolished. The knuckle of the excavator boom contacted two secondary overhead power lines, causing a pole-mounted transformer (120/240 V) to blow. The boom of the excavator came within 6 feet of the primary power line (12 kV) higher up.
Injury Type : Hand laceration
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980211
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A young worker acting in self-defence sustained a small cut from a knife used by two men robbing a restaurant.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950480
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

As concrete was placed in formwork for a fourth-storey roof slab, a section of formwork (nearly 5 feet by 12 feet) collapsed.
Injury Type : Concussion, back injury
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108620110
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker fell about 8 feet from a stepladder.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850151
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator struck and severed a 1.25-inch natural gas line.
Injury Type : Broken and fractured bones
Core Activity : Baling hay
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880066
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was baling hay in a field with a moderate slope. The worker dismounted the tractor to remove an object from the path. The tractor, which had not been shut down, started to move forward. The worker tried to remount the tractor, fell to the ground, and was run over by both the tractor and the hay baler. The equipment continued across the field and went over an embankment.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730233
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A vehicle drove through the wall of a restaurant and struck but did not injure a customer. The driver of the vehicle inadvertently hit the gas instead of the brakes while parking.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Swimming pool operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850149
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Chlorine gas was released into a containment room after a vacuum regulator malfunctioned. Contaminants from the chlorine tank had created a blockage affecting the regulator diaphragm.
Injury Type : Broken leg, fractured collarbone
Core Activity : Grading logging road
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530186
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A grader was backing off the low side of a road when it went down a 69-percent embankment. The grader operator jumped from the cab. The grader came to rest on a lower road 85 metres away.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270136
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator was backing down an embankment near the edge of a 7-foot-deep excavation. The ground gave way and the excavator fell backwards into the excavation, landing on its rear counterweight. The excavator operator, who was behind closed doors and wearing a seat belt, was not injured.
Injury Type : Burned hand, sprained ankle
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950478
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was standing on a stepladder while installing a ceiling light fixture in a parkade. The worker contacted an energized 347-volt electrical wire and fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Hand injury, bruises
Core Activity : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870081
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker at a gas bar was injured during an altercation with a person trying to use a stolen credit card.
Injury Type : Brain injury, multiple fractures
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970289
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was lifting an exterior wall when he fell more than 14 feet through an unguarded elevator shaft.
Injury Type : Minor burns (2 workers)
Core Activity : Truck maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009109750068
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An oxyacetylene torch set was involved in a fire that destroyed its acetylene regulator and a short section of hose. The pressure relief valve on the acetylene tank opened, venting acetylene to the atmosphere. Workers used portable fire extinguishers to put out the acetylene fire.
Injury Type : Potential exposure to asbestos (4 workers, including 1 young worker)
Core Activity : Demolition
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009109750075
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A fire-damaged house that had previously had asbestos-containing vermiculite insulation in the ceiling was being demolished. When workers removed a section of the drywall on the walls, they found some residual vermiculite. Work was stopped, the employer secured the scene, and an acceptable process was put into place for mitigating the asbestos hazard.
See a hazard alert about asbestos in vermiculite insulation:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34943
Injury Type : Hand and arm injuries
Core Activity : Trap fishing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157490120
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was hauling (pulling in) a fishing trap using a capstan winch when one hand became wrapped in the line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Marine pleasure craft manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850140
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During the pre-use inspection of a 3-ton electric hoist with an attached 400-pound spreader bar, the upper limit switch failed and the hoist continued to lift beyond the limit switch. The force applied by the lifting motor caused the lifting chain to fail. The spreader bar dropped about 20 feet to the ground, narrowly missing the hoist operator.
Injury Type : Minor burn to the hand
Core Activity : Auto service or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700103
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Gasoline that spilled from a container used to empty a gas tank was ignited by a spark from an adjacent vehicle bay. The resulting fire destroyed an auto repair building and its contents.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to ozone (3 workers)
Core Activity : Institutional kitchen
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009146490041
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Two kitchen workers may have been exposed to ozone, generated by UV irradiator lamps in the kitchen exhaust hood, when the hood exhaust fan failed. A worker in an adjacent room may also have been exposed. The three workers evacuated the area when symptoms of exposure (headache, dizziness, coughing, lightheadedness) were noticed; they were taken to hospital.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820158
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Fly rock struck a vehicle and storage shed.
Watch a slide show about a similar fly rock incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/ Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34853
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Commercial fishing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157490121
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A fishing vessel was found near the beach with its engine running and no one on board. A deceased worker was found about 1.5 nautical miles away.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to hazardous substance
Core Activity : Transfer station operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230168
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A refuse transfer station was evacuated after the operator of a loader inside the facility suddenly became congested and had difficulty breathing.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770183
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator was digging a utilities trench for a home under construction when its bucket severed an energized conductor on an adjacent property.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Roofing materials delivery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970275
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

As a truck-mounted crane was hoisting a load of plywood to a rooftop, the crane lifted off one outrigger. The boom and load swung downward and landed on the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830121
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A backhoe was digging near a roadway, searching for telecommunications ducts, when it snagged a 14.4-kV conductor.
Injury Type : Broken wrist, contusions
Core Activity : Roof truss placement
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410131
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Workers were installing 47-foot wood trusses for a flat roof of a 2-storey commercial building. Nineteen trusses had been installed when 13 of them collapsed. A worker on top of the trusses fell about 22 feet.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installation of windows on highrise
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810046
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A corner window post, weighing about 300 pounds, fell 20 storeys along the outside of a highrise building under construction. The post hit a cross-member of a scaffold, then landed 30 feet away from the scaffold. The post narrowly missed a worker on the second level of the scaffold.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Swimming pool
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009109750069
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

At a public swimming pool, the high-level chlorine alarm sounded and staff evacuated the pool and contacted emergency services. The fire department responded and closed the chlorine cylinders. However, chlorine continued to leak from at least one cylinder for another 5 hours. The gas supplier fixed the leaking cylinder.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Industrial or commercial renovation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750384
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A two-storey building that had been empty for 10 years was undergoing seismic upgrading. A worker dropped some bricks from the second floor. The bricks hit an unidentified 1-inch natural gas stub that was sticking out of the ground, broke a lock off the valve on the stub, and partially opened the valve. Gas flowed into the building and by the time the hazard was recognized, the gas company could not enter the building. Surrounding businesses were evacuated, and the entire block was barricaded. No one was injured and no explosion occurred.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180094
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator struck and ruptured a 1.25-inch 60-psi plastic natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating to install utility pole
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850118
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A mini-excavator was excavating to install a new utility pole when it struck and ruptured a 2.5-inch natural gas main line. No one was injured and the gas company contained the leak.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960202
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

On a highrise construction site, a temporary anchor and suspension line for an elevated work platform were being repositioned. The anchor and line fell to the ground (about 52 metres), causing extensive damage to an unoccupied vehicle parked beside the construction site.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Power line installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820151
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker fell more than 40 feet from a wooden utility pole.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009119700102
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Fly rock was thrown more than 100 metres from a blast site into the surrounding neighbourhood. Several homes were damaged.
Watch a slide show about a similar fly rock incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/ Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34853
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Retail store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600116
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A dust devil (small whirlwind) struck a retail store. Two skylights (each weighing about 500 pounds) were ripped out of their frames on the store's flat roof. One skylight landed on the roof about 40 feet away from its frame, the other about 20 feet away. The openings in the roof allowed the wind to displace ceiling tiles inside the store.
Injury Type : Broken ankle
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009160670111
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A young worker was preparing to leave a steep roof. He detached his fall protection and accessed an improperly secured ladder. The ladder kicked out and the worker fell 8 feet.
Injury Type : Concussion, laceration, contusions
Core Activity : Trap fishing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157490114
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

As a fisherman was hauling up commercial traps, he was struck by the hydraulic trap hauler.
Injury Type : Broken ankle
Core Activity : Low slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750443
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was removing gravel from a roof and placing it in a bin suspended from a crane. The bin swung and knocked down the worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270207
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A 25-ton telescopic-boom mobile crane was moving a beam into position. A control malfunction caused the boom to slew (swing) into overhead power lines (12 kV), resulting in a power outage in the area. The operator released the hydraulic controls, then waited on the crane's platform until a crew from the power company ensured the line was safely de-energized.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Building demolition
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750430
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

During building demolition, a heavy-gauge metal stud (2 inches by 8 inches by 16 feet) was being lowered to the ground. A knot securing the stud came undone and the stud fell, narrowly missing a non-worker on the sidewalk.
Injury Type : Possible concussion
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850155
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A coiled hose (6 inches in diameter, 50 feet long) was being hoisted in a sling attached to a backhoe. The hose was not secured, and its metal end fitting slipped out of the sling and struck a worker. Fortunately, the worker was wearing protective head gear.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Industrial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102834
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

While under repair, a self-erecting tower crane swung into the elevated boom of a mobile crane.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree removal
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450217
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Bug-killed pine was being removed using a 35-ton telescoping boom crane, which was set up on a 16 percent slope with plywood sheets under the wooden pads. The crane's hook was attached to the top of a pine. As the pine was cut, the crane lifted and then swung the cut section (15 feet long) from the right rear quadrant of the crane to the right front quadrant. The crane became unstable, its outriggers slipped off the pads, and the crane slid 20 feet downhill. The outriggers dug into the soil and the load, acting as a pendulum, pulled the crane onto its left side. The boom crushed a parked car. It took two cranes more than a day to get the flipped crane back up.
Injury Type : Ankle injury
Core Activity : Exterior house painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110110224
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A young worker was standing near the unguarded edge of a porch roof, repainting the fascia board on the second-storey roof above. He stepped backward and fell about 16 feet to the gravel surface below. The worker was not equipped with a personal fall protection system.
Injury Type : Serious foot injuries
Core Activity : Wooden box, crate, pallet, or lath manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600178
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A round had just been cut off a log. A young worker used his foot to roll the round toward a skid-steer front-end loader fitted with a grapple bucket. As the grapple bucket closed on the round, it caught the worker's foot.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850171
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

The whip line lifting block of a 300-ton crane was hoisted into the jib tip sheaves. The tip sheaves were extensively damaged, and many sheave pieces fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850147
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

Hydraulic jacks were being used to place a section of penstock (large steel pipe). A small piece of concrete spalled off the corner ledge supporting one of the jack's bearing pads. The spalled concrete fell about 8 feet to a stairwell trap door in the fitted scaffold system below. The nearest worker was about 5 feet from where it landed.
Injury Type : Eye injuries
Core Activity : Mechanical repair of trucks and equipment
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870086
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was using a high-pressure spray washer when the hose came off at the wand. The worker was sprayed in the face with hot water and degreaser.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation for water main installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009109150553
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator contacted a tee off a 2-inch steel natural gas distribution line, rupturing the line at the weld. Information about underground utilities had been obtained from BC One Call, but the excavator operator was given a different set of drawings (not provided by BC One Call).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Grapple yarding
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480181
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A grapple yarder had landed a turn of logs and was swinging around to return the grapple back down the hill when the lattice boom framework fractured and failed. The lattice boom fell backwards, missing the cab but striking the back of the yarder.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Plumbing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120188
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was soldering a plumbing fitting in a residential basement. The small torch bottle caught fire, and the flame did not extinguish when the trigger was released. The worker dropped the flaming cylinder and left the building. The torch bottle exploded, blowing out stucco from around the exterior wall along the basement sill plates. No one else was in the building.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavator operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120183
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

An excavator's counterweight caught the guy wire of a secondary power pole, which then broke. The power line fell across a highway, blocking five lanes of traffic.
Injury Type : Crushed fingertip
Core Activity : Concrete product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009104270151
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A worker was using a long screwdriver to hold back a mechanical sensor while resetting a concrete block moving machine. The screwdriver's slot end was pinched by a loaded rack of concrete product, causing the screwdriver handle to pin the worker's finger against the machine.
Injury Type : Possible toxic inhalation
Core Activity : Equipment service
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790081
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker sprayed an aerosol rust preservative onto an engine cylinder head. The worker suffered discomfort and a sore throat from fumes.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Public works yard
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980215
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A crane truck with an articulating boom was loading replantable trees onto the truck's deck. As one tree was loaded, the steel banding around the root ball being used as a lift point failed. The tree fell 6 feet and struck the worker guiding the load.
Injury Type : Serious burns
Core Activity : Low slope roofing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009140970177
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was on a roof inspecting a power boiler stack when condensate (extremely hot water from the boiler) discharged from the stack.
Injury Type : Concussion, multiple fractures, lacerations
Core Activity : Low slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410079
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker fell from a residential roof 30 feet above the ground. He struck another roof 10 feet down then fell the remaining 20 feet to the concrete surface below.
Injury Type : Sore leg and shoulder
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950120
Date of Incident : 2009-May

At a three-way intersection in a traffic control zone, a vehicle operated by a non-worker drove past a traffic control person (TCP). The vehicle then turned onto a blocked road where a second TCP directed it to stop. The vehicle did not stop as directed and it struck the TCP's sign, causing the pole attached to the sign to strike the worker. The vehicle then stopped.
See a hazard alert about the risks of working in traffic control zones:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35319
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009160580126
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a crane with an articulating boom was lifting a load, the crane's hydraulic cylinder failed. The extended boom fell on top of the load.
Injury Type : Broken leg
Core Activity : Marine vessel servicing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550147
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Workers were installing a pressure-fit sleeve coupling over a joint on a marine vessel drive shaft. A shaft coupling tool appears to have failed, causing it to open and strike one of the workers.
Injury Type : Cracked ribs, internal injuries
Core Activity : Lumber loading and unloading containers and trailers
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600141
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker drove a lift truck to a row of lumber packages on level ground. He parked the lift truck facing the packages, with the forks raised to chest level. He then engaged the parking brake and exited the cab to check tags on the lumber packages. The lift truck rolled and its forks pinned him against the packages.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker); minor injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530173
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A transport truck collided with an oncoming passenger car and an oncoming transport truck before coming to rest on the driver's side. The driver of the oncoming transport truck was not injured.
Injury Type : Multiple injuries to arm
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450199
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker had finished welding bolts on a transfer belt tailspool and was cleaning the running deck. The worker's glove snagged on the bolts, and his hand was drawn into the transfer belt scraper.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Diving at fin fish farm
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009113820146
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A high-pressure compressor in the hold of a dive vessel exploded. The compressor was being used to fill scuba tanks with nitrox.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Paper mill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110210078
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was using a hoist equipped with a spreader bar to transfer a reel spool (4,800 pounds) from the #2 paper machine to the #2 rewinder backstand. The spool was about 4 inches above the spool holder when the hoist cable snapped. The spool dropped into the holder, and the spreader bar landed on a reel spool of paper and against the spreader roll.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis and ribs
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120162
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Workers were replacing a residential roof with a steep slope (ratio of 7 vertical to 12 horizontal). As one worker was carrying a bundle of asphalt shingles, he fell from the roof to the ground (about 15 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160108
Date of Incident : 2009-May

During rock blasting for road construction, blast material snagged an overhead communications cable. This caused a utility pole to shift and dislodged one phase of a 25-kV power line. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installing water services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030250
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A backhoe's bucket contacted an underground gas line. Traffic was rerouted and an adjacent business was evacuated. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete pumping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009124710182
Date of Incident : 2009-May

While pumping concrete with its boom fully extended, a concrete pumper truck tipped over onto the pump side. The outriggers had not been fully deployed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490066
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A slip-and-cut operation had been completed for the main load line on a drilling rig. ("Slip-and-cut" is the process that replaces the drilling line once the load line reaches its duty cycle.) Following this operation, the drilling rig crew hoisted a stand of drill pipe that contacted the crown of the drilling rig. No workers were injured and operations were suspended until an engineer could re-certify the drilling rig as safe for operations.
Injury Type : Lacerations to hand
Core Activity : Wooden component manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600119
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A young worker was trimming boards at a planer. Wanting to move one piece, he reached past the safeguard and his hand contacted the saw blade.
Injury Type : Broken hip
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009157440147
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was on top of a 2x6 lumber bundle removing 4x4 dunnage. As he was getting off the load, he slipped and fell to the ground (about 6 feet).
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Transport of live fish
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009113820133
Date of Incident : 2009-May

While travelling on a highway, a flatbed truck transporting live fish went out of control and overturned. The driver and a passenger (non-worker) sustained only minor injuries.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Worker transport
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161740097
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker went missing while travelling by boat to a remote logging camp. The drowned worker was eventually located about 20 miles from the work site; his boat has not been found.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009125400105
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A young worker was on a tractor, compacting silage in an open bunker silo. The tractor rolled over sideways, fatally injuring the worker.
See a hazard alert about a tractor rollover:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34855
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Rock scaling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450190
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Workers were positioned above each other while scaling a 600-foot vertical rock face. One worker was struck by a rock, which may have been dislodged by another worker or the repositioning of the injured worker's rope.
Injury Type : Head injury, fractured ribs and vertebrae
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137290087
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker fell through two stairwell openings, landing on the basement floor 22 feet below.
Read an investigation report about a similar incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/AccidentInvestigations/IR-Construction.asp?ReportID=35074
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Falling and bucking
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158930099
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A manual faller was preparing to fall a red cedar danger tree. A green tree was limb-tied to the cedar. The faller was trying to push over the green tree with another tree when a large slab fell backwards from the cedar and fatally injured him.
Read an investigation report into a similar incident involving a danger tree:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/AccidentInvestigations/IR-PrimaryResources.asp?ReportID=34625
Injury Type : Burns to face and eyes
Core Activity : Electrical repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009153370097
Date of Incident : 2009-May

At a crude oil pumping station, a worker was doing electrical work on a variable frequency drive (VFD). The worker was reversing the leads from the VFD to a recently installed crude oil pump when a capacitor in the VFD discharged, causing an arc flash.
Injury Type : Lacerated scalp
Core Activity : Residential demolition
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161760825
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As an excavator was placing demolition debris in a garbage bin, a piece of the debris fell and struck a worker's head.
Injury Type : Concussion, temporary loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Framing or residential forming
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009117640351
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker unhooked his fall protection lanyard to walk across a second-storey residential metal roof with a slope ratio of 4 vertical to 12 horizontal. The worker slipped and fell 18 feet from the edge of the roof, striking a ladder as he fell.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Paper production and rolling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600106
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Workers had finished coring up (reloading) a rewinder shaft, which requires the shaft to be cantilevered by clamping the journal of one side of the spool. A worker was trying to lower the shaft puller in order to free the shaft and core held up by a hoist. The clamp on the back side was not disengaged, however, and one of the hoist cables snapped. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pile drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930161
Date of Incident : 2009-May

During pile drilling on a construction site, the drill's auger bit contacted a natural gas distribution pipeline. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Mild concussion
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009124710177
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A 12-foot beam was resting in a beam pocket on a top wall plate. As one end of it was being cut, the beam was dislodged and struck the hard hat of a passing worker.
Injury Type : Lacerated leg
Core Activity : Low slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770163
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was using a circular saw to cut into a framed roof surface. He had just completed a plunge cut when the saw contacted his leg.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist, contusions, strain
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102768
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a worker was descending an unsecured ladder, both the ladder and worker fell to the ground (about 10 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing and site surface preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240146
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As an excavator travelled under overhead lines, its boom snagged a low-hanging communications cable. The tension caused the 25-kV power lines to separate from the insulators, and an energized line fell to the ground. The excavator did not come into contact with any of the energized lines.
Injury Type : Fractured skull, broken arms, lacerations
Core Activity : Re-roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102765
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A young worker attempted to stop a 4x8 sheet of plywood from sliding off the roof edge. The worker fell with the plywood, landing on the back deck about 16 feet below. No fall protection system was in place.
Injury Type : Broken ankle
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155730106
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was about 28 feet up a ladder, painting exterior window trim. As the worker reached sideways, the ladder, which was not secured, slid out and the worker fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Meat processing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410115
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a worker was cutting meat with a band saw, one finger contacted the blade.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, puncture wound to hand
Core Activity : Sheet metal fabrication
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750348
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker went into shock after one hand was punctured by a sheet metal screw.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110189
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As an outdoor product cart was moved, it fell onto a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080166
Date of Incident : 2009-May

The load block hood and load line of a tower crane contacted an overhead high-voltage power line. The trolley motor had been removed, and the loose trolley line safety device was manually engaged incorrectly, allowing the trolley to move inwards.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : General retail
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108620078
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was on an extension ladder changing a light bulb when he fell about 20 feet.
Injury Type : Serious head injury
Core Activity : Newspaper delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009145130119
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was run over by his own vehicle, which was parked on a steep hill.
Injury Type : Fractured feet
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290298
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker had cut sheathing to size and was placing it on the roof when it dislodged and knocked him off his feet. He rode the sheathing to the edge of the roof, then fell to a concrete walkway. The worker was using personal fall protection but there was excessive slack in his lifeline.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009124710171
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A 10-foot section of roof collapsed after being overloaded with roofing material.
Injury Type : Hand laceration
Core Activity : Local government and related operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117930070
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a worker was repairing a loader, the ball joint was blown out of the ram socket and struck the worker's hand. The worker had heated up both the ram and the ball joint.
Injury Type : Arm amputation
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830019
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was placing dough in the unguarded hopper of an energized top-loading dough mixer. The blades of the mixer amputated one of the worker's arms.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155400065
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A tower crane was lifting a job-built container with a load of 2,700 pounds. The container collapsed and the load fell to the ground (about 15 feet).
Injury Type : Fractured ribs
Core Activity : Manual falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137160052
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A faller was falling a large danger tree (63 feet tall, 28 inches in diameter) on steep ground. The danger tree broke off 6 feet up the stem and fell backwards. The faller was found 27 feet below the base of the tree.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Test hole drilling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960187
Date of Incident : 2009-May

During overdrilling in an existing borehole, the hollow-stem auger struck a 2-inch natural gas line. The resulting natural gas leak was later repaired.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240143
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Fire destroyed a wood frame building under construction. No workers were on site at the time of the fire.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Falling and bucking
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161750107
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A faller was struck by a cedar log that had just been bucked.
Injury Type : Cracked vertebrae
Core Activity : Electrical utilities
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117930067
Date of Incident : 2009-May

During a training exercise, a worker was descending a 40-foot wooden utility pole. He was about 20 feet up when he fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Auto service and repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009070890042
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A mechanic was changing the oil of a short-box pickup truck. As the oil drained, the truck tipped slowly backward, pivoting on the rear-facing support arms of a hoist with an 8,000-pound capacity. The contents of the truck box were hidden by a security cover; they included a full load of plumbing tools and supplies.
Injury Type : Internal injuries
Core Activity : Finishing carpentry
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160731
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Several workers were unloading cabinetry from a semi-trailer truck on a construction site. Thirty-one sheets of fibreboard, each 5 feet by 10 feet and weighing about 90 pounds, were standing between the cabinets. The sheets were not secured. When the cabinets were removed from one side of the trailer, the stack of sheets tilted and pinned a worker against a wall.
See a hazard alert about a worker who was fatally crushed while unloading a stack of materials:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34722
Injury Type : Crushed vertebrae, fractured wrist
Core Activity : Planing mill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160733
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Two workers were doing maintenance on a drive unit for the infeed belt conveyor of a debarker. One of them was welding from a ladder about 8 feet above grade. The ladder was secured against the interior wall of a waste conveyor that was not locked out. When the conveyor started, the ladder shifted and the worker fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for water line tie-in
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880164
Date of Incident : 2009-May

An excavator struck an underground 14.4-kV conductor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing, excavation, or site preparation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750330
Date of Incident : 2009-May

An articulating crane mounted on a tractor was moving a large transformer (2370 kilograms) from one side of a work site to another. The side outriggers had not been deployed, and the crane tipped over onto its side, pulling the carrier with it.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Metal recycling facility
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163800051
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was repositioning a car crusher trailer in a metal recycling yard when the hydraulic cylinder of the crusher unit snagged a power line. The attached utility pole broke off at ground level and fell across the truck.
Injury Type : Arm injuries
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960160
Date of Incident : 2009-May

To access a suspended slab, a worker climbed the 2x4 walers of the concrete wall formwork. The worker fell about 8 feet.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820118
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A boom truck left a work site with its boom in the raised position. The boom contacted overhead power lines, pulling them down and damaging two utility poles.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Water main installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960154
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was cutting an existing steel water line (20 inches in diameter) with a cutting torch. The coal-tar corrosion membrane ignited, and the fire spread rapidly along the open-ended 200-foot pipe.
Injury Type : Electric shock
Core Activity : Trailer and truck rental operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730132
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a worker was adjusting the feed rollers on an older wire feed machine, one hand contacted the unprotected 110-volt power supply. The worker, who was not wearing gloves, sustained a moderate electric shock. This particular type of machine was manufactured with no barrier between the roller adjusters and the power supply.
Injury Type : Amputated fingers
Core Activity : Concrete pumping
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750357
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was cleaning the lines of a concrete pumper truck when the cleaning sponge got stuck in the "S tube" (located in the hopper). As the worker was trying to remove the sponge, the pump cycled.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Cleanup of new building
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880162
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a young worker was cleaning a high-voltage electrical cabinet in a newly constructed building, he contacted a 12-kV line.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to hazardous substance
Core Activity : Plastic product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009144660059
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Workers in a manufacturing plant detected an unknown odour. The building was evacuated and the fire department attended the work site.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Loading barge with logging equipment
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009136960131
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A log loader became unstable while descending a steep barge ramp. The loader overturned and became partly submerged in about 8 feet of water. Co-workers were not able to rescue the trapped operator.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae and arm
Core Activity : Insulation installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700078
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker fell from an attic to grade (12 feet).
Injury Type : Fractured arm, broken ribs
Core Activity : Manual falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480147
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A manual faller was falling a dangerous tree that was hung up in another tree when a large branch broke off and struck the faller.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Gutter installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157530122
Date of Incident : 2009-May

Two young workers were positioning a new 52-foot-long gutter on a roof when it contacted a 14.4-kV power line. One of the young workers sustained a fatal electrical injury.
See a slideshow about another incident in which a worker died while installing gutters:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34909
Injury Type : Compressed vertebrae, facial injuries
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009124710157
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was installing roof trusses when he fell to grade (about 12 feet). No fall protection system was in place.
Injury Type : Foot fractures
Core Activity : Metal manufacture and refining
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970097
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker was leaning on a guardrail to check the flow of effluent in a splitter box when the railing broke. The worker fell forward but was able to land on his feet.
Injury Type : Crush injury to hand
Core Activity : Machine shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009104270108
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a machine operator tried to put a part in the chuck of a vertical lathe, one hand was crushed between the spindle (chuck) and the tool turret of the lathe.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Moving hydroelectric generators
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480135
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A worker about to do maintenance was fatally crushed between the gooseneck of a low-bed trailer and a jeep frame. The low-bed operator intended to raise the gooseneck but inadvertently lowered it about 4 inches instead.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas well completion
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820218
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

During well completion, an uncontrolled release of natural gas occurred. A hole was eroded during a casing coupling operation as part of a high-pressure fracturing (process to stimulate the gas formation to release its resource).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161970016
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

The bucket of a rubber-tracked mini-excavator struck and severed a gas line 12 inches below sub-grade. The location of underground utilities had not been accurately determined before work began.
Injury Type : Injuries to ankle and foot
Core Activity : Drilling for natural gas
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820110
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Workers on a drilling rig were conducting a routine cut-and-slip operation (removing the worn portion of the drilling rig's main lifting cable). One of the workers unintentionally bumped a pneumatic toggle switch used to prevent two-blocking. The switch activated a cylinder that applies the draw work's brake, pinning a worker's ankle between the cylinder yoke and a pivot shaft.
Injury Type : Non-injury
Core Activity : Dumping debris from land clearing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730173
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A large dump truck dumped its load of debris, then pulled forward with its box still raised. The box struck a 25-kV overhead power line, causing one of the truck's tires to blow off and igniting a fire in the surrounding area.
Injury Type : Fracture, lacerations
Core Activity : Paper recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730126
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

At a paper recycling facility, two workers were repositioning the primary screen basket using an overhead crane. One worker inadvertently activated the crane's remote control, causing the crane to move. As a result, two of the three bolts securing the screen to the under-the-hook lifting device snapped. One arm of the lifting device came up and struck the other worker.
Injury Type : Electric shock, temporary loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Welding
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950091
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was plugging a 240-volt extension cord for a portable welder into a 240-volt wall receptacle when he sustained an electric shock. The shock propelled him about 4 feet, where he struck a parked vehicle.
Injury Type : Bruises
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161740087
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Two loaded logging trucks were on the same road heading in the same direction. The lead truck pulled over to let the second truck pass. As the second truck was passing, a small log fell off of it. The log struck the cab of the truck that had pulled over, slightly injuring the driver of that truck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Shrink-wrapping of scaffolding
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880152
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Workers were applying a shrink-wrap tarp to a scaffold 7 storeys high. A gust of wind tore the tarp from the workers' grasp and wrapped it around a 12-kV power line. The wind then pulled the tarp and power line into a second power line, causing the first line to melt and fall to the ground while still energized.
Injury Type : Puncture wound to arm
Core Activity : Public school district
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570016
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A student in a vocational program was using a pneumatic nailer to nail floor joist blocking. A nail deflected and struck the student.
Injury Type : Hip injury, laceration
Core Activity : Residential renovation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155070086
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker fell just over 17 feet from an unguarded roof edge to grade.
Injury Type : Contusion and possible concussion
Core Activity : Sheet metal fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410101
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker had exited a lift truck to place dunnage under a load. The worker was standing behind the lift truck carriage and bent over to place the dunnage. As he stood up, the worker struck his head on the carriage.
Injury Type : Fractures
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730124
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Two workers were placing a deli oven weighing about 500 pounds onto a pallet for disposal. The oven was raised on the forks of a small electric hand forklift. As the workers were pushing the pallet under the oven, the oven became unstable and fell onto one of the workers.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood preserving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110210057
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A loader was on the back side of the peeler deck, helping to manipulate a pole onto the carriage. When the job was finished, the loader backed up and struck a pothole. The loader's forks rose and caught the cable attached to the peeler shed wall, tearing it from the building.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete reinforcing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950451
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

The bottom mat of steel reinforcing rebar was being installed in a slab at ground level. Workers were using a gas-powered cut-off saw with an abrasive blade. After the workers had left the site, the vapour barrier caught fire. The fire was immediately extinguished.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132475
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

The jib of a lower tower crane contacted the hoist line of a higher tower crane.
Injury Type : Amputated finger
Core Activity : Leaking condo repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960146
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was ripping a small, unsecured strip of plywood with a portable circular saw. When the wood kicked back, the hand securing the stock contacted the saw blade.
Injury Type : Serious hand injuries
Core Activity : Rock scaling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450165
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker on a rock scaling crew noticed a coolant leak on a running air compressor. The worker opened the door of the air compressor. While moving the radiator hoses to locate the leak, the worker's hand was caught in the engine fan.
Injury Type : Strained leg
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710119
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

As a worker was installing bolts on a gang panel, he was pinned by another panel being moved by a tower crane.
Injury Type : Serious burns to one arm
Core Activity : Installing traffic signal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157450048
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

While working on a traffic signal, a worker contacted the uninsulated wires of nearby trolley bus lines.
Injury Type : Electric shock
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730166
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was standing on a table trying to insert a plastic scraper in a metal food-processing machine. The worker sustained an electric shock, and fell about 3 feet to the concrete floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850123
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

While preparing a site for a retaining wall, an excavator severed a 1.75-inch gas line. The line was about 6 feet below grade, inside the owner's property line. The location of underground utilities had not been accurately determined before digging began.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Replacing window panes
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950456
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

As eight workers were removing a pane of tempered glass from a third-floor window, the pane shattered and fell to the ground. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (5 workers); burns and foot injury (1 worker)
Core Activity : Fire brigade
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009111080049
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Six firefighters were injured while fighting a fire in a residential building.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility upgrades
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960122
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A backhoe was digging 1 metre from a located 2-inch gas line when it ruptured an intersecting 1-inch gas line.
Injury Type : Large leg contusion and pain
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600091
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Three workers had just replaced the anvil in the hog that mechanically crushes ("chews") bark and other wood by-products. The hog door had been raised using a come-along winch. As the workers were closing the hog door, the come-along chain came loose and the door fell onto a worker's leg.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820090
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A loaded off-highway logging truck went out of control while descending a steep grade. The truck and trailer rolled onto their side, and the load of logs spilled off the trailer.
Injury Type : Concussion, hand injuries
Core Activity : Ranch
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120114
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A 2-seater plane flown by a worker crashed.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, arm, foot
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050074
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was about to install tar paper around window openings above a sundeck that had a rubber membrane on its surface. The membrane was covered in a thin layer of frost. When the worker stepped on the membrane, he slipped and fell 21 feet to the ground below. The worker was not wearing any personal fall protection equipment.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Maintenance of underwater intake grate
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850076
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A 24-foot aluminum diving boat, secured by a two-point moor to a bridge over a river, overturned while the 4-person crew was conducting diving operations. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Non-injury
Core Activity : Court services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050072
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A local detachment of the RCMP received a telephoned bomb threat regarding the court services building. The building was evacuated, and no injuries were sustained by employees or members of the public.
Injury Type : Crush injury to leg
Core Activity : Strip steel slitting and cutting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520116
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

An 1,800-pound slit steel coil fell off a coil car and struck a nearby worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing or site surface preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480115
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A faller lost control of a tree he was falling, and it struck an energized 14.4-kV overhead power line. The faller then tried to cut the tree down from the line while the line was still energized.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist
Core Activity : Hotel food service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750314
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

While carrying a pail of food to the cooler, a worker fell.
Injury Type : Broken nose, rib injuries
Core Activity : Liquor store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009029270092
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was preparing a new liquor store for opening when he heard a noise outside the front of the store and observed liquid coming through the seal around the door. When the worker opened the door to investigate, he was jumped by a group of seven youths and assaulted. The youths were scared off by three other teenagers who observed the incident and phoned 9-1-1.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730140
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

During excavation work, a boom truck was holding in position a utility pole that carried energized 25-kV power lines. The bottom of the utility pole kicked out, overloading and destabilizing the crane.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950069
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A tri-axle end dump trailer was dumping a load of sand in a sand storage shed on a private ski hill road. The driver moved the tractor trailer unit ahead with the box raised. The box contacted an overhead 25-kV power line.
Injury Type : Exposure to asbestos (2 workers)
Core Activity : Food processing plant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161970020
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Two workers entered an attic area insulated with asbestos-containing material. Unaware that the material contained asbestos, the workers disturbed it. They were not using any type of personal protective equipment.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Construction site surface preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770128
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A mini-excavator trying to remove a tree stump ruptured a 2-inch buried gas line, resulting in the discharge of gas.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Scaffold erection
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880146
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

As final height adjustments were being made to a section of scaffolding 40 feet long by 24 feet high, the scaffolding toppled over, contacting a low-voltage line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Forklift operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080138
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

The carriage of a telescopic forklift contacted an energized low-voltage overhead power line.
Injury Type : Partial amputation of arm
Core Activity : Aluminum window manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830086
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker sustained a partial amputation while using a chop saw to cut cardboard.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness; bruising
Core Activity : Fireproofing and insulation work
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110160
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker on scaffolding 25 feet above grade fell about 8 feet to the scaffold working platform below the one he was on.
Injury Type : Singed arms
Core Activity : Rock drilling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009117640239
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A rock drilling company drilled into an underground concrete-encased 14.4-kV electric conductor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Transportation and warehousing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009112840077
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A packaged metal product transported on a forklift sliced through a plastic-reinforced corner and wall of a plastic tote that contained 1000 litres of a concentrated detergent. After the tote was sliced, the forklift operator tipped the tote onto its side to prevent the container from discharging the entire contents. The container was moved from the warehouse area to one end of the parking lot and then near a storm drain at the other end of the lot. This course of action was re-evaluated and the tote was returned to the loading area of the warehouse. A worker who started clean-up of the product in the warehouse without appropriate personal protective equipment was decontaminated by the Hazardous Materials Response Unit. The tote contained a mixture of sodium hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite, alkyl tricarboxylate, and polyacrylate. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs
Core Activity : Scaffold rentals and installations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157450044
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

In a storage yard, a forklift operator was moving a bundle of scaffold metal braces and putt logs. The bundle rolled forward off the forks and onto a worker.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Sheet metal fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730115
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was operating a punch press. As the worker removed a part that had just been punched, the machine unexpectedly cycled.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Movie theatre
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030186
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

While changing sign letters, a worker fell about 6 feet to the ground from a 13-foot aluminum extension ladder.
Injury Type : Broken leg (non-worker)
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180040
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A 2-year-old child climbed onto a forklift. The child was standing at the steering wheel with his foot on the throttle pedal. The child turned the key and the forklift started. The forklift was in gear and drove straight ahead and off the end of the 4-foot-high loading dock. The forklift came to rest on its side with the child under the forklift.
Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110159
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker had completed installing a new breaker kit in a 600-volt panel that had to remain energized for specialized equipment (MRI, lab equipment). As the worker exited the breaker installation area, the tool he was holding contacted a live bus, causing an arc flash.
Injury Type : Bruising from harness
Core Activity : Concrete finishing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710102
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Two concrete finishers were moving a swing stage platform when the down button on one of the cable motors became stuck due to a buildup of concrete grout. The other side of the swing stage continued downward, leaving one worker hanging in his harness and the other worker holding onto the swing stage.
Injury Type : Hand lacerations and fractures (non-worker)
Core Activity : Mass copying of compact discs
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009139860094
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A non-worker was watching a compact disc/industrial-sized printer in production. The non-worker reached for a falling CD and got his hand caught in the machine.
Injury Type : Deep laceration
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158930072
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A faller was cut when his chainsaw kicked out of a back cut of a standing tree.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries to back, pelvis, leg, arm
Core Activity : Manufacture of fire dampers
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147280072
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was retrieving a 20-foot piece of pipe from job-built angled cantilever storage racking. The racking, which was just over 6 feet high, tipped over. Metal stock struck and partially covered the worker.
Injury Type : Broken ankle
Core Activity : Mobile rock crusher operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410084
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker entered the discharge conveyor section of a mobile rock crusher to clear material. The conveyor inadvertently started with the worker in the area.
Injury Type : Fractures, cuts, scrapes
Core Activity : Orchard operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880009
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was operating a tractor, spreading fertilizer down the rows of a high-density orchard while other workers followed behind. One worker tried to walk to the front of the tractor while it was in operation. The worker fell backwards under the tractor's left rear tire and was run over.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Wood product manufacturing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110129
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker's fingertip was amputated as he used his hand to test the temperature of the side head pressure plate that aligns boards going through a planer.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Irrigation line installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880003
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A backhoe struck a 2-inch natural gas line while digging to install a new water line in a vineyard. After contacting the gas line the backhoe operator left the area.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, concussion, abrasions
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009117640209
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was installing hip roof trusses while standing on the bottom chord of a pre-manufactured 26-foot-span wooden truss when the pressed fastener sheared. He fell 9 feet 4 inches to the concrete floor below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pipeline installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490044
Date of Accident : 2009-Apr

Workers were hydrovacing (a process using hot water and vacuum suction to locate and expose underground utilities) and excavating around an existing sour gas pipeline. The workers did not anticipate a bend in the pipeline. The excavator ruptured the pipeline, releasing sour gas (hydrogen sulfide) and fluids into the immediate work area. Workers evacuated the area and the rupture was contained without any workers being injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Interior renovations to retail premises
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950429
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was coring a 2-inch-diameter hole in an 8-inch-thick concrete suspended slab. At a depth of 5.5 inches, the drill bit struck and damaged an energized 600-volt conductor.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Agriculture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480102
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A utility vehicle struck the side of the trailer unit of a parked semi truck and trailer. The worker operating the utility vehicle was fatally injured.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Bridge resurfacing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157620084
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A worker was struck by the side mirror of a truck that drove through a traffic barricade and into a work area. The truck was being pursued by police.

2009 January - March

Injury Type : Fractured foot (2 workers)
Core Activity : Drywall work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155070070
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

Two drywallers fell 10 feet from a job-built wooden work platform. They landed on the concrete floor below, and each fractured a foot bone.
Injury Type : Fractured arm, internal injuries
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820065
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A welder (a young worker) was struck by a shaft and pinion gear that fell on him as he worked under a crawler crane. The combined weight of the parts was estimated to be about 500 pounds.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730096
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

At about 4:00 a.m., several shots were fired into a restaurant, and a slogan concerning the Bar Watch program was painted on the exterior wall.
Injury Type : Fractured skull and arm; leg injury; numerous lacerations
Core Activity : Heli-skiing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980157
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

While guiding skiers, a heli-ski guide was caught in an avalanche. He deployed his snowpulse avalanche air bag, which prevented him from being buried by the snow.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Truck-mounted crane operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750226
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

While booming out, a truck-mounted crane tipped onto its side. The boom was extended 64 feet to the side of the carrier, and the truck's stabilizers had not been deployed.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Garbage removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730088
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was standing on the deck of a flatbed trailer, putting the last strap on a load of scrap pallets. He lost his footing and fell just over 4 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Injured vertebrae
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161750075
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was struck on the head by a piece of lumber that fell off a conveyor.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Forklift tire repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102742
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was repairing a flat tire on a forklift. To raise the forklift, he placed his jack on a 5,000-pound counterweight that was not bolted to the machine. The counterweight lifted up and away from the forklift, leaving the propane tank hose holding it in place while resting outward on a steel counterweight support member. Another worker identified the hazard of the stretching propane connection hose and released the latches on the propane-securing harness, causing the counterweight to fall and strike the worker repairing the tire.
Injury Type : Undetermined injury
Core Activity : Plastic recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158750074
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was on a work platform doing maintenance on a machine when he fell about 10 feet.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Electronic equipment set-up
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750201
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

As a worker lowered the powered tailgate on a cube van, one finger was caught between the tailgate and the frame of the truck.
Injury Type : Puncture wound to foot
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009161980109
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A young worker was shot through the foot with a 3-inch nail while assisting another worker to position a wooden wall stud. The injured worker inadvertently kicked the tip of the pneumatic nail gun that was being held, trigger depressed, by the other worker.
See a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra
Core Activity : Demolition work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950413
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

As a worker was doing demolition work on the second floor of a 3-storey building, a portion of the third floor collapsed onto him. No demolition plan certified by a professional engineer was available at the site.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Building maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009154890021
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

While working on an electrical distribution panel for internal lighting (347 volts), a worker contacted a live terminal with needle-nose pliers. The distribution panel had not been disconnected and locked out as required.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009119700051
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A loaded log transporter was travelling on a highway when the left mounting bracket attachment bolts failed on the front bunk. The truck and trailer spun 180 degrees, and the trailer overturned. Logs from both the truck and trailer were scattered along the highway.
Injury Type : Severe lacerations
Core Activity : Shake and shingle mill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600053
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A saw operator cut a round off a short cedar log in the log-haul conveyor. The round became lodged between the end of the log-haul conveyor and the apron of the transfer deck. A second worker tried to dislodge the cedar round using a picaroon. The picaroon came loose as the worker was pulling on the piece, and the worker fell backward into the unguarded running circular saw, which was in the retracted/neutral position.
Injury Type : Laceration
Core Activity : Structural metal fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009066220020
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker operating a vertical turning machine was struck by a stringer.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Firefighting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009154900012
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During a fire drill, workers were operating a fire truck with an aerial ladder. The ladder's waterway, which holds the nozzle and piping, broke away when the water line was charged. The force of the water thrust the nozzle past the end of the ladder and against an adjacent building.
Injury Type : Serious burns
Core Activity : Brewery
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450101
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker noticed a leak from the man hatch of a brew kettle and tried to tighten a locking knob to increase seal tension. The brass threads in the knob pulled out, causing the hatch to release. The worker was scalded by hot mash.
Injury Type : Arm injuries
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009070890017
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker reached inside a bull edger, between the outfeed press roll and the line bar, to loosen a stuck safety pin. As the pin was struck with a hammer and came loose, the press roll dropped onto the worker's arm. The equipment had not been properly locked out.
Injury Type : Exposure to hydrocarbon vapours
Core Activity : Service station
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009157580056
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

Workers inside a service station experienced symptoms of exposure to hydrocarbon vapours, including headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Several days earlier, a gasoline spill occurred during a tank truck delivery to the service station. Hydrocarbon vapours had migrated through the ground and entered the service station building through a conduit opening in the foundation.
Injury Type : Strains, bruises
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490132
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A young worker was wearing a personal fall arrest system while removing snow from a sloped metal roof. The worker slipped and fell off the roof. His fall arrest system stopped his fall about 7-8 feet below the roof's edge.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis, arm
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410075
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker on the second level of a scaffold fell 15 feet to grade when a guardrail failed to support his weight.
Injury Type : Lacerated fingers
Core Activity : Fish processing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157490062
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was sanitizing a fish processing machine when one hand was pulled into the conveyor belt.
Injury Type : Suspected carbon monoxide poisoning
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009160310040
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker became ill while using a gas-powered pressure washer to clean the inside of a produce cooler. The worker was able to call for help before collapsing outside of the cooler.
See a hazard alert about workers who died when overcome by carbon monoxide from a portable gas-powered device:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=34979
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009140710197
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

At a logging site, two log truck drivers had a verbal disagreement, then one of the workers repeatedly struck the other.
Injury Type : Concussion, facial injuries
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450131
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

At a landing, the driver of a log truck with a tri-axle trailer could not connect the folding draw bar to the tractor pintle hook. A log loader operator used the loader's grapple to force the draw bar down, and the draw bar was connected to the pintle hook. Later, the load of logs was unloaded at the mill. While preparing to reload the trailer onto the tractor, the driver could not open the pintle latch. He forced the latch with a small tool, and was struck in the face by the spring-tensioned draw bar.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Damp-proofing concrete foundation wall
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270050
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During construction of a 4-storey wood-frame building, a worker was using a propane torch to dry a concrete foundation wall. He unintentionally ignited the exterior wall building paper. The 5-pound fire extinguisher the worker had with him was under-charged and malfunctioned. The flames had reached the second storey by the time another worker retrieved a similar charged extinguisher, while a third worker retrieved a bucket of water. The three workers were able to extinguish the fire from above and below; the worker fighting the fire from above suffered smoke inhalation.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830004
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

As a stand-up lift truck was moving an upright support for a steel pallet rack, the lift truck tipped onto its side.
Injury Type : Gunshot wounds (1 worker, 1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Long-term care facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009124770055
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A resident of a long-term care facility shot one worker and shot at another. The police then shot the resident.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Utility pole installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156580107
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During preparations to install a new utility pole, pole claws at the tip of the boom on a utility truck contacted an energized 25-kV line. The current injured a worker leaning against the truck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Modular home construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450133
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During construction of a modular home, workers were lifting a roof section using a spreader bar attached to three separate chain hoists. As the roof was lifted, the attachment points (holes drilled in the top truss member) failed. The roof section fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700053
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

An electric jackhammer drilled into an energized 12.5-kV duct bank encased in concrete.
Injury Type : Bruised shoulder
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820061
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A faller felled a 32-metre-tall cedar tree (a danger tree) that was limb-tied to a 29-metre-tall hemlock tree. As the cedar fell, the hemlock uprooted and fell onto the cedar, causing a 7.6-metre-long slab of cedar to split off and strike the faller.
Injury Type : Lacerations to head (1 worker); minor injuries (2 workers)
Core Activity : Helicopter operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820062
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A helicopter was being used in avalanche control work (avalanche bombing) when it went out of control and crashed. The pilot sustained lacerations, and the two avalanche control workers on board (one of them a young worker) sustained minor injuries.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Gravel truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113920045
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A tandem gravel truck was travelling on a public roadway with the gravel box in the raised position. The box got caught on a telecommunications line between two utility poles, causing the truck to flip onto its side on the adjacent sidewalk and boulevard. A 14.4-kV power line was seriously damaged as well.
Injury Type : Hand laceration
Core Activity : Railing and awning fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156580095
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was cutting a piece of aluminum railing with a chop saw when the piece of railing kicked back and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, internal injuries
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147230130
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was standing on a pallet being raised by a forklift. The pallet was lifted about 9 feet to a mezzanine when the worker fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Drywalling and drywall taping
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870002
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was taping a skylight basket, working from a ladder on a baker's scaffold, when the scaffold tipped over. The worker fell more than 15 feet from the ladder to the floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavator operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161530047
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

An excavator contacted an underground 12-kV electrical conductor.
Injury Type : Head laceration
Core Activity : Hotel renovations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009093710105
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During renovations, a worker was removing glass mirrors from a wall using suction cups. A glass mirror broke under tension, and a piece of glass struck the worker in the back of the head. The worker was wearing a face shield.
Injury Type : Bruising, pain
Core Activity : Field preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600069
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A farm tractor was pulling a small, open, 4-wheeled trailer/cart in which three workers were seated (on the raised sides in it). One worker fell backwards out of the cart when the "backboard" he was resting against came loose.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dry land sort facility
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009090580146
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A log loader was unloading a log transporter when the loader struck an overhead 14.4/25-kV energized power line. The electrical contact damaged both the loader and the transporter.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavator operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520077
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

An excavator was digging to install a new storm sewer when it contacted a high-voltage underground conductor. The location of the conductor had not been accurately determined before the digging started.
Injury Type : Chest and back pain, bruising
Core Activity : Painting concrete pump booms
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600067
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was lying on his back on a work platform 10.5 feet above grade (the shop floor), painting a section of a raised concrete pump boom. The worker fell from an unguarded end of the platform, struck a parts cart, then landed on the shop floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wholesale warehouse
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700047
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A section of a mezzanine used to store files and other materials collapsed due to a structural failure.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Chip truck operation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930116
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A chip truck driver was throwing a tarp rope over his loaded trailer. The rope landed on a 25-kV overhead power line, and the driver felt a small electric shock. The rope and truck remained energized until the rope burned off.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Cheque cashing business
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950046
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A masked person brandishing a handgun entered a store and demanded that the worker get money from the safe. The robber left the store when the money was handed over.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117930030
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A truck driver was found unresponsive on an asphalt parking lot. He was lying between the tractor and the trailer, and one pant leg was caught on the platform rail.
Injury Type : Stab wounds
Core Activity : Taxi service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480077
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A taxi driver was stabbed by a customer with a knife.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavator operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480072
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

An excavator was digging out gate pads when it ruptured a natural gas line. The location of the gas line had not been determined before work began.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Industrial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080107
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker fell from a landing to grade (5.5 feet).
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, lacerations, bruising, loss of consciousness (non-worker)
Core Activity : Building demolition
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750197
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During the demolition of a house, debris struck a non-worker on the sundeck of an adjacent property.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures and lacerations
Core Activity : Installing cabinets
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009156730111
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A cabinet installer had set up his chop saw on an unguarded balcony. The worker stepped on a piece of material used to protect the floors and slipped, falling off the balcony and landing on rocky ground 10.5 feet below.
Injury Type : Concussion (1 worker); crush injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Long-term care
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009154900018
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During load testing of a newly installed ceiling lift, the support anchor failed. The test load fell onto a young worker. A second worker came to assist the first worker and was struck by the falling ceiling track.
Injury Type : Lacerated foot
Core Activity : Barge towing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157490058
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

An 11.5-metre tug was pulling two barges when the tug sank. The two workers who abandoned ship into a life raft were rescued about 3 hours later. One of them, a young worker, sustained a cut foot.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and pipe laying
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820076
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During a severe winter storm, the dome of a water treatment facility used for oil and gas drilling fluids collapsed. The dome was air-suspended (like a stadium dome). No one was inside or near the dome when it collapsed.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950041
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker fell about 10 feet from a ladder.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Taking soil samples
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270025
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

While taking soil samples, an excavator ruptured a 3/4-inch propane line, causing an uncontrolled release of propane gas. A site survey had been completed, but this line had not been identified.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to asbestos (multiple workers)
Core Activity : Renovation to worksite
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163100040
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During renovations at a commercial site, workers may have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibres. Layers of old flooring were removed before a thorough hazardous materials survey had been completed. Safe work practices for handling asbestos were not followed. Workers did not wear appropriate personal protective equipment.
Injury Type : Blunt force injuries to upper body
Core Activity : Pipeline construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790035
Date of Accident : 2009-Mar

A worker was pressure-testing a recently installed 6-inch natural gas pipeline. At about 1260 psi, the test head weld failed. The worker was injured by the blast force and spray of methanol/water mix.
Injury Type : Abdominal injuries
Core Activity : Seismic drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009144250039
Date of Accident : 2009-Mar

Young worker (ages 15-24)
Worker's experience at this task is unknown

A tracked water hauler vehicle for filling seismic drill units struck a downed tree on the right of way used for access to the seismic program. As the tracked hauler passed the downed tree, a branch from the tree released, sprang up, and broke through the hauler's front window. The limb injured the operator (a young worker) and and broke through the rear window guarding.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Home support
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009163500112
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A home care worker was travelling between client sites in a snowstorm. The vehicle left the road, went down a steep embankment, and struck a tree, fatally injuring the worker.
Injury Type : Broken leg
Core Activity : Moving furniture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410055
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was preparing to unload office furniture from a raised pallet onto a mezzanine level. As the worker stepped off the forklift, a cracking sound was heard and the load started to fall. The worker tried to get clear but was struck by the falling load.
Injury Type : Bruised leg, undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157450014
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was injured when the forklift he was operating struck a building support structure.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520065
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

Two non-workers were shot by an assailant while they were at the gas pumps, fuelling their vehicle. Three workers were in the convenience store at the time of the shooting.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Carpet installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410050
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

As a rough-terrain forklift raised a job-built platform to a second-storey window, the platform became unstable. The worker on the platform fell to grade (about 11 feet) and was then struck by the falling platform.
Injury Type : Hypothermia, bruising
Core Activity : Tugboat operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009157490050
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker fell overboard from a 14-metre tugboat. The worker, who was not wearing a personal flotation device or lifejacket, was rescued about 2 hours later by a fishing boat.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Culvert installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110089
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During excavation to install a storm drain culvert, the excavator either pushed a large rock into a gas line or its bucket struck the line, causing natural gas to be released. The line had been terminated but it was still connected to the main gas line and charged.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850078
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

An excavator was removing soil near an exposed 2-inch natural gas distribution line. The bucket inadvertently caught the line and severed it.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450098
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

A worker was driving a service truck to a logging block when the truck hit a boulder on the highway. The truck rolled over and was a writeoff but the worker sustained just minor injuries because he was wearing his seat belt.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra, bruising
Core Activity : Oil and gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820039
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

As a 30-foot length of casing pipe (7 inches in diameter) was being lowered, the lifting clamp contacted another piece of drilling equipment. The contact caused the latch on the clamp to release and the clamp opened. The suspended pipe dropped and struck a young worker.
Injury Type : Exposure to H2S gas and other injuries (1 worker); exposure to H2S gas (1 worker)
Core Activity : Pipeline maintenance
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490021
Date of Accident : 2009-Feb

As workers prepared to launch a pig into an 18-inch sour gas pipeline, the pig trap ruptured upstream of the valve pressuring the launcher. The rupture of the line caused a large release of sour gas, which threw one worker over 30 feet. A second worker escaped to a safe area. Both workers suffered exposure to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas and the thrown worker suffered additional injuries. (Pigging is the process of running a plug down a pipeline to remove water and other contaminants in the line. A pig trap is a riser in the pipeline in which the pipe is brought to the surface to allow for the introduction of cleaning tools or other work processes.)
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Water tanker trucking
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790018
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A tandem-axle water tanker was travelling on a resource road. The truck left the road, severing the water tank from the chasis.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil and gas well construction and drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930085
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

As drill pipe and equipment were being hoisted on a drilling rig, the travelling blocks contacted the crown blocks. The anti-two-block device had been disabled.
Injury Type : Injury to head and neck muscles, possible concussion
Core Activity : Building supplies retail
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920060
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A forklift was pushing a street sweeper, steered by a young worker, into a dry storage shelter. The shelter was a space between two metal storage containers, covered by an unsecured flat roof (20 feet by 19 feet) that rested on the containers. The forklift's mast dislodged the roof, which then struck the young worker's head.
Injury Type : Head wound
Core Activity : Balcony railing installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480056
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A worker was installing railings around a second-storey balcony. The worker fell off the balcony and landed on the concrete driveway 10.5 feet below. There was no fall protection system in place.
Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand and leg
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980073
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A loaded logging truck and a crew transport vehicle collided on an active forest service road. The driver of the crew vehicle was seriously injured.
Injury Type : Broken bones
Core Activity : Planer mill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009058250102
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A worker was injured when he slipped on ice.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009146890024
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A leak occurred at a primary valve on a chlorine dioxide storage tank at a pulp mill. Nearby homes and businesses were evacuated.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450086
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A hydraulic log loader was descending on a debris windrow when it slid, pivoted, and flopped onto its side.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Front-end loader operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240051
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

As a front-end loader was removing overburden from a residential lot, it exposed a 2-inch metal natural gas line. The loader operator had been told it was a decommissioned service line. When the bucket lifted the end of the line, the line ruptured and gas was released.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Bridge construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157560086
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A 42-metre concrete pump truck tipped forward, raising the rear of the pump about 3 metres in the air. The outriggers had not been fully deployed before operating the pump.
Injury Type : Fractured and lacerated leg
Core Activity : Painting or wallpapering
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137290049
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A worker was on a ladder when the feet of the ladder slid out. The worker fell, struck a window sill, and landed on the ladder.
Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490072
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

As a log transporter was being loaded with logs, the driver entered the loading area to connect the air lines for the transport trailers. A piece of log debris dislodged from the grapple load of logs being loaded onto the trailers and struck the driver.
Injury Type : Severe injuries to hand
Core Activity : Trawl fishing
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2009161530024
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A crew member was setting a trawl net from the stern of a fishing vessel when a drum nipple under hydraulic pressure failed. Oil shot toward the worker's hand, causing severe injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavator operation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930070
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

As an excavator cleared ice and snow, it contacted three 25-kV power lines, causing a power outage as well as damage to the machine.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080080
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A concrete delivery truck was backing up into an alley. It knocked over a utility pole supporting low-voltage power lines. No traffic control person was being used to assist the driver as he backed up.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Bridge construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157560075
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A heated enclosure at a bridge construction site caught fire. The enclosure contained a 45-gallon barrel of corrosion-inhibiting wax that was being heated overnight. The fire caused melted wax to spill onto the bridge deck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102733
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

During blasting at a new residential development, fly rock struck homes. Numerous workers were in the area but none of them were injured.
See a slide show about a blasting incident in which fly rock damaged several vehicles:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34853
Injury Type : Heart attack
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450046
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A loaded log truck left a landing on a forest service road. There was fresh snow and the truck, which did not have chains, became stuck a few kilometres away. A skidder came and freed the truck. The truck's operator then installed the chains and the truck headed out again. A short time later the driver had severe chest pain and radioed for help. Other truck drivers provided assistance until a Level 3 first aid attendant arrived from the departure landing.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra, internal injuries (1 worker); exposure to airborne asbestos (1 worker)
Core Activity : Asbestos remediation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102721
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

Two workers were in a ventilation shaft doing high-risk asbestos removal work. One of them tried to manipulate an access ladder in the shaft. He was standing at the edge of a floor, at a height of about 14 feet, when he fell to the bottom of the shaft. There were no guardrails and the worker was not wearing personal fall protection equipment. The second worker was exposed to high concentrations of asbestos fibres when he removed his powered air-purifying respirator to yell for help for the fallen worker.
Injury Type : Eye irritation, headache (2 workers)
Core Activity : Government services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009112840023
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

Twenty-three workers in an office were exposed to chlorodifluoromethane that leaked from the condenser of a heat pump. Two of the workers required medical attention. It was later found that during an inspection of the 5-ton heat pump, a hatch had been removed. When the hatch was put back, it was secured with a longer screw, which pierced the condenser line. About 12 pounds of the gas were inadvertently released.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Rock scaling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820050
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

During scaling activities, a rock fatally struck a young worker.
Injury Type : Serious foot injury
Core Activity : Wooden component manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970105
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A worker's foot was caught between the frame of a scissor feeder hoist and the edge of a pit opening.
Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand
Core Activity : Splitting log blocks into firewood
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410039
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A worker suffered serious hand injuries while operating a vertical log splitter.
Injury Type : Contusions, stiffness
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850045
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

As a young worker descended a set of stairs, the stairs dislodged from both the upper and lower attachment points. The worker fell 15 feet down the stairwell. The stairs had been detached in preparation for removal and replacement but no effective guarding was in place to prevent inadvertent use.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Public transit operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960055
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A transit bus was travelling to a green light when the operator heard a scream and felt a bump. The operator stopped the bus and found a person unresponsive on the roadway.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830031
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

A shooting took place near the pumps of a gas bar. The lone worker on site was behind a protective barrier and heard the shots but did not see what happened.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Warehouse
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128220022
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

Goods were being unloaded from a trailer. A worker was operatin