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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

2007 April - June

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pile driving
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930246
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

During pile setting operations at an industrial park, an underground natural gas distribution line was contacted.
Injury Type : Exposure to asbestos-containing materials (8 workers)
Core Activity : Fire alarm upgrade
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007130680113
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

During electrical work for a fire alarm upgrade, holes were cut into a textured ceiling that contained friable asbestos. No precautions were taken to prevent workers being exposed to asbestos. Five workers with the alarm company (including one young worker) and three school district employees were exposed.
See a list of resources about asbestos:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/Construction/HazardousMaterials.asp?ReportID=34092
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas and oil production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007158820111
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

During pipeline pigging procedures (cleaning, dimensioning, or inspecting), the downstream equipment failed. A 100-barrel pop tank and associated piping sustained damage because of the excess pressure. The lid of the pop tank lifted off and landed 15 metres away.
Injury Type : Compound fracture of ankle
Core Activity : Drywall installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007145130246
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was standing on top of a steel stud wall that had not yet been secured to the supporting wall. The steel stud wall collapsed and the worker fell 9.5 feet.
Injury Type : Sprained wrist (1 worker); scratches (2 workers)
Core Activity : Acute care
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007095611123
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A psychiatric patient who was being restrained slammed the door on one worker's hand and kicked, scratched, and bit two other workers.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Security services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007119700166
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker who had been conducting security patrol activities on a construction site could not be located by the next worker coming on duty. The worker's body was later located in a body of water near the construction site.
Injury Type : Broken neck (1 worker); neck and back injuries (1 young worker); multiple fractures of arm (1 young worker); chest contusion (1 young worker)
Core Activity : Travelling between service calls
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136050084
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A vehicle with four workers left the highway and crashed, ending up in the ditch.
Injury Type : Dislocated kneecap
Core Activity : Drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007159010063
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As a worker was making a pipe connection, the pin for the holdback lines failed. As a result, the tongs rotated and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Water aspirated into lungs, mild hypothermia
Core Activity : Tugboat operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157490135
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A tugboat with four workers on board capsized and sank when the barge it was towing girded it (overtook it, causing the tow line to bind to the tug). The workers entered the life rafts and climbed aboard the barge, where they awaited rescue by the Coast Guard. One worker nearly drowned when water got into his lungs.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Building materials delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157600198
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker operating a zoom-boom forklift was delivering a load of building materials to a balcony. The forks contacted two phases of an overhead 12.5-kV power line. The lines broke and fell to the street.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Plumbing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640275
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A plumber was pressure-testing a 6-inch water service when it exploded, sending shrapnel into the work area. The PVC pipe was rated for 230 psi. The pressure was at 180 psi when the pipe exploded.
Injury Type : Fractured arm and facial bone
Core Activity : Dryland sort
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137160178
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A loaded logging truck was being unloaded on a dryland sort when a log slid out of the grapple of the stacker. The log slid over the cab and down onto the paved dryland sort. On the pavement, the log kept sliding and it hit the truck driver, who was standing about 40 feet from the front of the truck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane truck operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560301
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A truck-mounted crane had just delivered roofing material. As it attempted to move away, the boom, which had not been stowed, hooked overhead power lines servicing the house under construction. The driver saw sparks, stopped the vehicle, and waited inside the cab until utility crews arrived.
Injury Type : Broken leg, back injury, lacerated leg
Core Activity : Operating farm tractor at kennel
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007116120178
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A tractor was moving some yard waste in an area with a slight slope. The owner/operator exited the tractor and was run over. The self-employed owner did not have optional workers' compensation insurance.
See a slide show about WorkSafeBC's personal optional protection:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/ slideshows.asp?ReportID=33861
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra, broken wrist
Core Activity : Trawl fishing
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2007157490173
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

While conducting maintenance on a fishing vessel, a worker fell from a hatch cover a little less than 3 feet above the main deck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Roadway upgrading
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930247
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As a tracked excavator was grading along a roadway, a buried natural gas distribution line was ruptured.
Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Home inspection
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137290172
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A home inspector fell from an elevation of approximately 8 feet. The self-employed owner did not have optional workers' compensation insurance.
See a slide show about WorkSafeBC's personal optional protection:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/ slideshows.asp?ReportID=33861
Injury Type : Head injury; fractured skull
Core Activity : Construction of concrete retaining wall
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560299
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker walking in a trench excavation fell and injured his head.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007155700191
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The driver of a self-loading logging truck was attempting to load the empty trailer back onto the tractor adjacent to a log yard. The boom contacted a 7.2-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Roadway maintenance
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930255
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

While ditches were being cleaned to improve drainage, a natural gas distribution pipeline was ruptured. A worker entered the ditch to crimp off the line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dam infrastructure construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160186
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

During construction to raise the grade of an access road at a hydro dam site, a dump truck contacted and broke the neutral line of a 12,000-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007155700182
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

An articulating boom crane was offloading construction material when it tipped onto its passenger side. The passenger-side outrigger had not been deployed fully horizontally.
Injury Type : Injuries to upper body and face
Core Activity : Transport trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007155700174
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A transport truck/trailer unit went out of control while travelling on a highway. The vehicle crossed the oncoming lane, left the highway, and struck mobile homes.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : High-rise construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007037470199
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A zoom-boom forklift picked up a column, then backed over a small bank. As the wheels dropped over the edge, the forklift tipped onto its side.
Injury Type : Broken wrist, tissue damage to one side of body
Core Activity : Ship repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007146490143
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker fell through a hole (5 feet by 8 feet) cut out in the deck of a barge. The worker landed in the bilge area, 8 to 9 feet below.
Injury Type : Compound fracture to leg
Core Activity : Seismic line clearing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007124490051
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A seismic faller was constructing a seismic line. Several trees, including a dead spruce snag, had been felled into standing timber, creating a jackpot (several hung-up trees). As the faller attempted to cut out the hung-up spruce snag, the saw ran out of gas. A bucker took over and attempted to cut out the hung-up tree. This second worker attempted to cut short pieces out of the hung-up tree to get it down. The hung-up tree, which was highly tensioned, kicked back and struck the worker in the leg, pushing the worker back approximately 10 feet.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Logging road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007155700173
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

On a forestry road, the trailer section of a loaded logging truck separated from the tractor, causing the load to leave the truck. The load then knocked an unoccupied rock drill over an embankment. The tractor remained on the road and in an upright position.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Log home construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007131490177
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker was operating a jointing machine to edge process a long board. As the worker was manually feeding the board through the machine, the worker lost control of the board. As the worker attempted to regain control of the board, the worker's fingertip contacted the machine's cutting head.
Sections 3.22 to 3.25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation deal with training and orientation of young or new workers. These sections of the Regulation came into effect on July 26, 2007. A guideline to help implement them is available at:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/OHSRegulation/ GuidelinePart3.asp#SectionNumber:G3.23
Injury Type : Bruises and bite marks
Core Activity : Residential care
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520071
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A resident punched and bit a care aide.
Injury Type : Electrical shock
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128230166
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The owner of a business not registered with WorkSafeBC was troubleshooting a reported electrical short in the cablevision wiring system in a residential complex. He sustained an electrical shock.
Injury Type : Traumatic wrist injuries
Core Activity : Wooden furniture manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280177
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The operator of a point-to-point drilling and routing machine was indicating an operating problem to a maintenance worker. The operator's hand became caught in a shear point between the tool magazine and the carriage.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to leg
Core Activity : Auto service or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280175
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

Workers were attempting to move a pick-up truck that had a defective clutch. As the truck was started, it unexpectedly moved forward, striking a worker and pinning him against a second vehicle.
Injury Type : Laceration and soft-tissue damage to leg
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560296
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A skid-steer loader was parked in a driveway. The parking brake failed and the loader rolled down the driveway, pinning a young worker against another parked vehicle. The worker was wearing hearing protection and did not hear the machine approaching.
Injury Type : Back pain
Core Activity : Watering industrial road
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007159110023
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A watering truck was travelling on a narrow section of an industrial road. The truck's wheels contacted the soft shoulder and the truck rolled down a 2-metre bank. It came to rest on the driver's side of the vehicle.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, paraplegia
Core Activity : Exterior house painting
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157560292
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker was painting the exterior of a residence, working from a ladder. The worker fell approximately 15 feet from the ladder to the sidewalk below.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to hand; amputation of two fingertips
Core Activity : Industrial testing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007090580229
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was using a bar to dislodge a sample jammed in the rolls of a rock crusher. The bar and the worker's hand were pulled between the energized rolls. The worker, who had been doing this job for less than a week, had not received adequate training and supervision in lockout procedures.
Sections 3.22 to 3.25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation deal with training and orientation of new (and young) workers. These sections of the Regulation came into effect on July 26, 2007. A guideline to help implement them is available at:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/OHSRegulation/ GuidelinePart3.asp#SectionNumber:G3.23
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080197
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

An underground high-voltage conductor was contacted when shoring anchors were being drilled into a bulk excavation wall.
Injury Type : Physical assault
Core Activity : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007113830165
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was assaulted while working alone at a 24-hour gas bar. The gas bar was locked but procedures allow regular customers to enter.
Injury Type : Fractured back, pelvis, leg (1 worker); fractured leg (1 worker)
Core Activity : Overhead door installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007140710238
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

Two workers were working in a scissor-type elevating work platform. A forklift working nearby caught its forks under the body of the scissor-lift vehicle, causing the lift to topple over. The workers fell approximately 24 feet.
Injury Type : Crush and contusion injuries to knees
Core Activity : Drilling and grouting
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007115131751
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker was moving an air track (crawler drill) between a mobile grout pump and a mobile air compressor. There was only a foot of space between the air track and the grout pump. The air track spun the worker around against the fender of the grout pump. The controls normally return to the neutral position when released, but this time they did not. As a result, the air track made a hard right turn and came to rest against the excavation wall.
Injury Type : Broken facial bones, head and neck injury
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007110750271
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was repairing a chain in the unscrambler area when the link pin on a hanging chain was knocked out. The chain swung down and struck the worker in the face, causing the worker to lose his balance. He fell back, striking his head on an I-beam, then slid approximately 12 feet down a conveyer skirting into a vibrating conveyor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete highrise construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131752
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

When a tower crane swung, its jib contacted the boom of a mobile crane on an adjacent construction site.
Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker); back strain (1 worker); bruising (1 worker)
Core Activity : Stone or marble product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156580204
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker was assisting in a forklift operation when the forklift toppled over and crushed him. The forklift operator and another worker sustained minor injuries.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Bucking, loading, hauling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157600187
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A driver was setting up his logging truck trailer, including attaching air lines, when the tractor-jeep-and-trailer started rolling downhill. The driver was run over by the trailer. See a hazard alert poster about this incident: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=34633
Injury Type : Electrical shock, burns
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560285
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A roofer (a young worker) sustained an electric shock when he backed into residential service wires feeding a single-family residence. The wires began to smoke and spark, and some flames erupted. The utility company is investigating the cause.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Private landfill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750264
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A large fire broke out at an industrial waste dump.
Injury Type : Fractured collarbone
Core Activity : Manual hand falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930141
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A hand faller was falling a tree 24 inches in diameter by 75 feet tall. The tree was located along the top side of a rock quarry. As the tree started to fall, the faller was struck by a rock that had been lodged in the tree. The rock had lodged in the tree during blasting activities.
Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Retail bakery or delicatessen
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007110210135
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker's arm was caught between a conveyor chain and a drive sprocket. The worker had removed a cover panel on a bread dough rising machine in order to remove a ball of bread dough.
Injury Type : Sprained ankle, wrist
Core Activity : Placement of reinforcing steel
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080191
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As a worker was climbing up a job-built ladder from one level to the next, he fell off the ladder and landed on the concrete slab below.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip; severe laceration to finger
Core Activity : Cleaning heavy equipment
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007137102145
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was spray-cleaning the engine compartment of an excavator when he attempted to jump off the narrow walk platform. On his way down, he grabbed the manufactured foot traction grid. His ring became caught in the grid and his finger was injured.
Injury Type : Fractured skull and vertebrae
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730583
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was cutting a tree (about 8 inches in diameter). As the tree fell, it struck the worker.
Injury Type : Mild concussion
Core Activity : Corrections branch
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030190
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A corrections officer was physically attacked by an inmate.
Injury Type : Cuts and bruises
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550169
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A loaded articulating rock truck slid off a pioneered construction road. It travelled approximately 100 feet down the bank, where it was stopped by a concrete retaining wall. The rock truck ended up resting on its side with its wheels facing uphill.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete pipe manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007134520120
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The roof of an unoccupied block plant collapsed because of an accumulation of sand from the conveyor system above the building.
Injury Type : Amputation of one finger; laceration to another finger
Core Activity : Door manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280164
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was using a sliding table panel saw equipped with a blade guard. He moved the guard out of position to see the cut, exposing the blade. As he completed a cut, his hand contacted the blade.
See a slide show about safeguarding for woodworking equipment:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34503
Injury Type : Separated shoulder, bruising
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640255
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A loaded logging truck was travelling downhill into a corner. The driver had difficulty steering the vehicle and applied full brakes to stop the truck. The trailer slid across the road into a deep ditch, pulling the truck with it. The truck slowly tipped onto its passenger side, leaving the driver suspended in his seat belt. The driver was injured when he released the seat belt and fell approximately 7 feet across the cab.
Injury Type : Electrical arc flash burns to arms and hands
Core Activity : Public school district
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007156680115
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

An electrician was working in an electrical vault at a school. As he opened an energized 600-volt fuse cabinet, his screwdriver contacted the energized bus, causing an electrical arc flash.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae and ribs; crush injuries
Core Activity : Highway maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450231
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The side-boom support mechanism for a highway mower failed. To retract the mower and make it possible to drive the tractor back to the repair shop, the worker welded a retention ring to the boom. The weld failed while the worker was manipulating the mower into position. The boom arm was not securely blocked and it fell onto the worker.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, bruising
Core Activity : Rock drilling and blasting
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007108490114
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As a rock drill (mobile equipment) was being positioned in preparation for drilling, it rolled over.
Injury Type : Severe bruising
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930121
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A loaded highway log truck failed to negotiate a corner on a main haul road. The truck rolled onto the driver's side and came to rest on the road.
Injury Type : Broken back, crushing injuries
Core Activity : Highrise construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158880239
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A rigger had basket-slung an electric forklift and lifted it a short distance off the ground to inspect the rigging. While he was inspecting it, the forklift shifted and pinned the rigger to the ground.
Injury Type : Head, neck, and spinal injuries
Core Activity : Seismic line clearing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007124490049
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A seismic faller felled a spruce snag (a dead spruce tree) into standing timber. This caused another spruce snag to fall back and strike the faller.
Injury Type : Back contusions
Core Activity : Installation of steel studs
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007145130242
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker fell approximately 13 feet through a tarp covering a foundation wall that was awaiting damp-proofing and backfilling.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Cable yarding
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640266
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

On a cable yarding operation, a worker re-spliced the connecting eyes in a strawline (cable) extension and hooked the extension to the strawline drum winch. He was walking towards his vehicle, where the dead end of the strawline was attached to the bumper. When the operator started to spool the strawline onto the drum, the worker waved to the operator. The operator misunderstood the wave as a signal to go ahead on the strawline. The worker was caught under the arm and flipped into the air by the tightening strawline extension.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Gravel pit
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670230
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A tracked excavator was setting up to remove silt and mud from a waste water settling pond. The excavator lost stability and sank into the pond.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis and legs; back injury
Core Activity : Steel staircase installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007113830146
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As steel staircase weighing more than 1,300 pounds was being installed, the lifting cross member failed. The staircase fell onto a young worker.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness; compound fracture of leg
Core Activity : Electrical supply wholesale
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280155
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As a lift truck placed a reel of cable into pallet racking, an adjacent reel of cable (weighing approximately 500 pounds) fell approximately 9 feet from the racking. The falling reel struck an approaching worker and knocked him to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sewer construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007145130238
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As an excavator lifted a shoring cage out of an excavation, its boom contacted an overhead power line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670226
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

While a utility arborist was removing an identified hazard tree, a 25-kV power line was contacted. The utility arborist had been issued a permit assuring the worker that the power lines would not be automatically re-energized if the lines were inadvertently contacted and tripped the circuit. This assurance of no reclose worked as expected.
Injury Type : Minor electrical burn to hands
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128230155
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was removing an exit sign from the 10-foot-high ceiling of a hallway in order to test the voltage of the circuit. The worker's pliers inadvertently contacted a bare spot on a live wire. The worker intentionally fell backwards off the stepladder he was working from and landed on a carpeted floor.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Pleasure boat sales and service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117930070
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was picking up a 25-pound hydraulic bottle jack. As he swung the jack up, the tip of one finger was pinched between the carrying handle and the jack's collar ring.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Moving fly tables
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157550170
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A hydraulic hand jack fell from the 7th floor of a condominium tower while workers attempted to move the fly table.
Injury Type : Internal bruising
Core Activity : Trawl fishing
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2007157490134
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

As a deckhand was hauling back a trawl net in heavy seas, he was pinned between a steel davit and the net.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970279
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

An excavator hit the nipple of a 2-inch main gas line. Underground utilities had been located prior to excavation.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640254
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The connections (glad hands) for the service line to the trailer of a logging truck disconnected. The driver attempted to apply the service brakes, which were no longer serviceable. The driver then applied the emergency valve, which dynamited the brakes and slowly brought the truck to a stop. The experienced driver was not injured and the truck was not damaged.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700135
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

The telescoping boom of a self-propelled, boom-supported elevating work platform buckled.
Injury Type : Broken leg
Core Activity : Quarry
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970285
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

An excavator bucket tooth had lodged in the infeed of the rock-crusher jaw plates. Working from a sling attached to the excavator, the excavator operator attempted to cut the tooth from the jaw plates. When the tooth was cut out, the jaw plates, which were under hydraulic pressure, struck the worker.
Injury Type : Sore back
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960182
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was running new electrical wiring to a rooftop heating unit. While on a fixed ladder that provided access to a ventilation system enclosure, he slipped and fell approximately 6-8 feet. He was working alone, but fortunately he was able to use a cell phone to call for assistance. The fire department high-angle rescue team attended the scene and retrieved the worker from the enclosed space.
Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Water works
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700136
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker in an excavation was struck by the hoe-pack of an excavator.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete reinforcing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080199
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was tensioning a post-tension strand and stressed the cable to 3,000 psi. A problem with the anchor was suspected. The supplier's representative was called to the site before any other tensioning was allowed to proceed. The representative decided to continue to tension the strand to 6,000 psi. As a worker was removing the tensioning jack, the anchor failed, causing a piece of concrete to fly off. A similar incident had occurred earlier at another project involving the same batch of anchors. These post-tensioning anchors, known as Batch 27, had been manufactured exclusively for Harris P/T, a division of Harris Steel. Subsequent testing had found Batch 27 anchors were defective and they were supposed to be removed from distribution. Apparently one of the defective anchors had been delivered to this site and was the anchor that failed.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : International truck transport
Location : USA
ID Number : 2007157520277
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A truck driver died while travelling back to BC when his loaded transport rig failed to negotiate a curve on a highway. The rig crossed the centre line, went over the barrier, rolled down an embankment, and landed in a river.
Injury Type : Scratches, bruises
Core Activity : Vineyard
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007113210134
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A farm tractor and sprayer rolled over when the operator tried to make a tight 3-point turn at the end of a road in a vineyard.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Operation of truck-mounted crane
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155400448
Date of Incident : 2007-May

An articulating crane mounted on a delivery truck was unloading construction materials when it tipped due to inadequate padding at the bottom of the stabilizer pads. The crane sustained structural damage and the truck also sustained some damage. The unit was then sold to another company with no notification of the damage and without re-certification by an engineer.
Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Log transport
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930183
Date of Incident : 2007-May

At the bottom of a steep switchback, a loaded logging truck went out of control and rolled onto the passenger side. The driver, who was not wearing a seat belt, was seriously injured.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Amusement park operation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007113830174
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker was assaulted by a supervisor.
Injury Type : Amputation and laceration injuries to several fingers
Core Activity : Sports and entertainment facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520067
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker's gloved hand was caught in the outfeed of a vertical auger of an ice resurfacer. The worker had been attempting to remove a build-up of ice.
Injury Type : Shoulder contusions, facial bruising
Core Activity : Manual falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157600161
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a faller was falling a cedar, a fir limb (6 feet long, weighing about 50 pounds) fell out of the canopy where it had been lying. The limb struck the faller on the shoulder, driving him into the ground.
Injury Type : Burns and scrapes to arm
Core Activity : Curb installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007107970297
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was using a hammer to remove excess concrete from the bottom of the belt of curb-making machinery. The hammer missed the conveyor roller, and the hammer and worker's arm (to the elbow) passed through the roller.
Injury Type : Amputated foot
Core Activity : Shake or shingle mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007137290147
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker's foot was amputated when it contacted a running headsaw of a shake/shingle saw.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550149
Date of Incident : 2007-May

Fly rock from blasting reportedly took out one of three overhead 25-kV power lines.
Injury Type : Second-degree burns
Core Activity : Medical school
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007134520105
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A technician was embalming a cadaver. The pump delivering the embalming fluid (71% isopropyl alcohol) was not working properly. The technician noticed that fluid had accumulated under the pump. When he switched off the pump, the embalming fluid caught fire. The technician's lab coat also caught fire.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to two fingers
Core Activity : Mechanical repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007153370114
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A millwright was replacing a worn drive sprocket for a log infeed jack ladder. The chain for the jack ladder was lifted off the drive sprocket and supported by a fibre sling. The sling failed, and the worker's fingers were crushed between the sprocket and the chain.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae and foot; dislocated fingers
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155400201
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was installing blocking between the trusses of the second floor of a building under construction. He fell to the ground. There were no guardrails and there was no fall protection system in place.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Roofing material delivery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007111110126
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a crane was lowering a lift of roofing materials (300 pounds) from the roof to the ground, its load line contacted a 14.4-kV power line.
Injury Type : Torn muscles in legs, abdomen
Core Activity : Climbing, limbing, and sectioning trees
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157600167
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A tree service worker was working about 60 feet up a fir tree (about 3.5 feet in diameter) that was leaning about 30 degrees off the vertical. The worker was secured in place by climbing gear. The fir fell over and the worker rode the tree to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970267
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A backhoe contacted a 14-kV conductor. The existence of the utility was known, but no locate had been performed before the excavation work began.
Injury Type : Lacerations to 3 fingers (non-worker)
Core Activity : Trade school
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007147280140
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A student was using a table saw to rip a piece of lumber 8 feet long, 1.5 inches wide, 9/16 of an inch thick. Although the saw was equipped with a blade guard, splitter, and kickback fingers, the student's hand contacted the running blade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavator digging test holes for site development
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007152480170
Date of Incident : 2007-May

An excavator was digging test holes when it contacted a 25-kV conductor.
Injury Type : Major blunt trauma to head and back
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007124120173
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A forklift had loaded an all-terrain-vehicle (ATV) onto the back of a transport trailer. The driver of the transport truck wanted to move the ATV to the front of the trailer. He started the ATV and inadvertently put it in reverse. The machine moved backwards off the trailer, dropping 4 feet to the ground and coming to rest in a vertical position. The truck driver was thrown from the ATV.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist, dislocated shoulder
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970246
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was sheathing an 8/12 pitched roof. While using his nail gun on plywood, he slipped on accumulated sawdust and fell approximately 11 feet to the ground below. A fall protection system was not available.
Injury Type : Broken ankle, abrasions
Core Activity : Rewiring existing HVAC system
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960158
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was working on a heating and ventilation system in an attic space, where one section of the floor was one foot higher than the rest of the flooring. The worker stepped down to the lower level onto an unmarked wood ceiling cover. The cover released and the worker fell through the opening, landing 10 feet below on the concrete slab.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue damage to legs
Core Activity : Auto sales and service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120129
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was caught between two vehicles inside the garage shop when a vehicle with a manual transmission was started up in gear.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures of foot
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160149
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was on the ground assisting a rubber-tracked skid-steer loader to place large concrete block barriers (each approximately 2 feet by 8 feet and weighing 3,000 pounds). As one block was offloaded, it contacted a block already on the ground. The block on ground tipped over, crushing the foot of the worker on the ground. The rated lifting capacity of the equipment was only 2,500 pounds.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log dump
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007118050094
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As logs were being unloaded from a trailer at a log dump, the boom of the derrick crane separated from the foundation. The boom and load landed in the water.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to neck and back
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007107970270
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A 5,000-pound lift truck was attempting to remove the top lift of lumber from a stack approximately 16 feet high. The hoisted load of lumber was not stable, so the operator repositioned the lift truck and tried again. Although the raised load was still unstable, the lift truck backed up and turned to the left. As it ran over some dunnage (supporting boards) on the ground, the unstable lift truck flipped onto its side, injuring the operator.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to back
Core Activity : Grounds maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007111810126
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A farm-type tractor with a full bucket of soil was descending a steep slope. The machine lost traction on the grassy slope and began to slide. The operator jumped free before the tractor skidded sideways and rolled over.
Injury Type : Crush injury to leg bone
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158750037
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker was standing beside the operator's position of a ride-on motorized pallet jack during his training session. When the worker grabbed and turned the throttle, the pallet jack moved toward him. His leg was trapped between the pallet jack and an 8x8 wooden bumper.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs, punctured lung
Core Activity : Boat repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970249
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A fishing vessel was in drydock. For access to the vessel, three planks were laid side by side, crossing from a second-floor walkway to the side of the boat rail. As the worker was walking across the planks, one plank (which was not secured) slipped off the boat rail. The plank and worker fell 10 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Broken leg and arm, internal injury
Core Activity : Industrial testing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136970121
Date of Incident : 2007-May

At a sawmill, a worker in a confined space inadvertently stepped into an unguarded open hole in the floor. He fell 12 feet and sustained serious injuries.
Injury Type : Concussion, facial injuries, lacerations
Core Activity : Heavy equipment, machinery, or parts, sales, service, or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520046
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was servicing a skid-steer front-end loader. Both cylinders for the lift arm supports were being replaced at the same time, so the elevated arms were supported by a stand. When the cab protective structure was opened and flipped back, the centre of gravity shifted, causing the rear of the equipment to tip downwards. This caused the lift arms to rise up and then come down toward the cab. The worker in the front section of the machine was struck by the arms. The worker was pinned between the arms and the frame of the loader. The wheels of the equipment had not been blocked from movement. There were no written procedures for removal of the cylinders to ensure that the lift arms were always restrained when elevated.
Read an accident alert about fatal accidents involving skid steer loaders: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=33776
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Plant turnaround activities
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930209
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A boom-supported elevating work platform failed at the boom/jib pivot point. Two workers were rescued from the work platform, which ended up at a height of about 30 feet.
Injury Type : Burns to upper body
Core Activity : Spray painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007125290047
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was using an electric drill equipped with a mixing attachment to stir stain primer in a 200-gallon tote. The vapours ignited, burning the worker.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750205
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a worker attempted to remove a 4x12 slab (4 feet long) from a conveyor system, the worker was caught up in the tail spool.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700125
Date of Incident : 2007-May

An excavator contacted an energized 12-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis and ribs
Core Activity : Supplementary health care
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007129730562
Date of Incident : 2007-May

To let fresh air into an office, a worker stepped out onto the upper landing of a fire escape to prop open the door. The landing was decayed. It gave way and the worker fell approximately 10 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility tree services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120139
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was in the bucket of an aerial lift truck conducting utility tree service work. The boom of the bucket inadvertently contacted a 12.4-kV primary line, tripping a line breaker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155070131
Date of Incident : 2007-May

The boom of a self-erecting tower crane contacted the boom of a mobile crane on an adjacent construction site. The two sites, separated by a common roadway, are under construction by two separate companies.
Injury Type : Non-Injury
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007104270119
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker was using a pneumatic chipping hammer to remove encased concrete from around an underground high-voltage duct bank. The chipping blade broke through the 4-inch ABS pipe and penetrated the protective covering of at least one of three 7.2-kV energized conductors in the pipe.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750189
Date of Incident : 2007-May

An excavator damaged a 3-inch gas line. The utility lines indicated on the locate map had been located and documented. The existence of this gas line was unknown before the incident because it had been privately installed.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Tarping load on flatbed trailer
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007140330051
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A truck driver was tarping a load of wood skids on a flatbed trailer. He fell and landed on the connector between the two flatbed trailers.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gravel hauling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007108440021
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A loaded gravel truck was backing up a newly constructed, soft-shouldered, gravel dike access ramp. The operator was not hurt when the truck toppled onto its side.
Injury Type : Skull fracture; facial fractures and lacerations
Core Activity : Marine service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007066160048
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A power boat was attempting to tow a stranded pontoon boat from shore. The customer attached the tow line onto a cleat at the front of the pontoon boat. As the power boat started to tug the pontoon boat off the shore, the cleat tore away from the pontoon boat and came toward the power boat. One worker in the power boat escaped injury, but a second worker was hit in the face by the metal cleat, which weighed about 2 pounds.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670220
Date of Incident : 2007-May

An articulating rock truck contacted an overhead high-voltage power line while dumping rock.
Injury Type : Crushing injuries to hand
Core Activity : Restaurant operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730556
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a worker prepared pizza dough, one hand was pulled into the nip point of the rollers of a dough press.
Injury Type : Electrical burns to upper body, head laceration
Core Activity : Electrical utilities
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128230135
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker opened the front doors of a padmount electrical enclosure to inspect work completed by a subcontractor. During the inspection, the worker sustained electrical burns.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, punctured lung, burns
Core Activity : Chemical pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007137290132
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker was caught in a nip point between a rotating pulp roll and a drive spool during the pulp roll removal procedure.
Injury Type : Bruises to upper body
Core Activity : Commercial fishing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157490106
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was struck on the arm and chest by a block that split apart while lifting a bag of fish estimated to weigh 1600 kg.
Injury Type : Contusion to the head
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730563
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker walked beneath a tree being pruned and was struck on the head by a falling branch.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (8 workers)
Core Activity : Recycling household chemicals
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007134530102
Date of Incident : 2007-May

Eight workers from two work sites were exposed to smoke during a chemical fire at a recycling plant.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Land clearing and excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007070890043
Date of Incident : 2007-May

The operator of a forklift was crushed when it overturned on a sloped embankment.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Rock quarry
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007152480150
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A rock truck operator was outside the cab when the truck started to roll downhill. The operator hung on to the runaway truck as it travelled 190 feet down a road at a quarry site. When the truck hit a rock pile, it flipped over onto its side, crushing the operator.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to neck, hip
Core Activity : Concrete placing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080158
Date of Incident : 2007-May

During a concrete pour, a worker was struck on the head by a malfunctioning coupling (clamp) attached to the pumper truck reducer line and piping system.
Injury Type : Mild burns to hand, minor smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Log salvage and bundling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157490102
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A tug with a single person on board was pushing logs into a boom when a fire broke out in the engine room. The skipper extinguished the blaze and the vessel was towed to a nearby wharf.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to ankle
Core Activity : Home renovation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007157440097
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was working on a scaffold (10 to 11 feet high) in the stairwell of a home that was undergoing renovations. When the worker stepped on the end of the plank that was used as the top working platform of the scaffold, it flipped up and the worker fell to the stairwell below. The plank had not been securely attached to the scaffold.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Prawn fishing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157490100
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A 42-foot fishing vessel with 3 persons on board began to take on water after hitting a rock. The skipper beached the vessel in a nearby bay and no one was injured.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007146890049
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a worker was assisting with a felt change on the paper machine, his leg was crushed by a hydraulic ram that was inadvertently activated by another worker. Hydraulics are not isolated during felt changes as they are required for this process. After the incident, the employer installed a fixed guard on one hydraulic ram to guard the pinch point.
Injury Type : Severe crush injury to foot
Core Activity : Loading excavator onto trailer at rental shop
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007116110152
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a small excavator was being loaded onto a trailer, it tracked off the ramps and tipped onto its side. The operator's foot was caught between the ROPS canopy and the ground.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis and vertebrae
Core Activity : Manual hand falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930083
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A hand faller was attempting to fall a cypress (yellow cedar) 12 inches in diameter and 90 feet tall. Another tree of similar size and species was leaning into the first tree and was hung up in it. This second tree was partially broken off its stump and was located behind and above the faller's working location. When the first tree fell, the second tree struck the faller in the back and pinned him to the ground.
Injury Type : Head injury; broken ribs, wrists
Core Activity : Excavator repair
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157270114
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was standing on the boom of an excavator 13 feet above ground to work on the cab. He fell off the boom and hit his head on the excavator track as he fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Broken vertebrae, ribs, shoulder
Core Activity : Residential wood construction/renovation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960143
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a residential sundeck was being demolished, the deck structure collapsed. A carpenter, who was working alone, fell to the concrete below and was hit by falling debris.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures to feet
Core Activity : Cleaning out a conveyor
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157380073
Date of Incident : 2007-May

Three workers were inside a conveyor attempting to clean debris out from under the flights by standing on the flights, providing extra weight. The conveyor was not locked out; a supervisor was operating the on/off switch to its disconnect. Two workers exited the conveyor. Not realizing that one worker was still inside, the supervisor turned the conveyor back on. The worker's feet were trapped by a flight as it went about the head spool.
Injury Type : Brain injury, skull and facial fractures
Core Activity : Highrise construction
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007122700109
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A bucket loaded with concrete to be poured into a wall form was suspended from a tower crane. When the bucket was in position, three workers tried to manoeuvre it to pour the concrete. The bucket suddenly dropped a few feet, pinning one worker against the formwork. WorkSafeBC engineers found that the bucket's descent was caused by system failure of the crane, which had been incorrectly erected.
Injury Type : Head injury, internal injuries, fractured bones
Core Activity : Plumbing, heating, ventilation, and residential air conditioning installation or repair
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007110750196
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a worker was about to descend a ladder from a roof, his foot slipped off a rung. The worker fell 12.5 feet to the asphalt below.
Injury Type : Broken legs
Core Activity : Chemical wholesale
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280133
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was in front of a lift truck doing work on its mast underneath the elevated fork carriage. The carriage had not been securely blocked. It dropped suddenly, pinning the worker's legs to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960149
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A mobile crane was offloading bundles of reinforcing bar from a flatbed trailer to the ground. Two workers were holding the load, which was suspended by two nylon slings. When the crane's hoist line contacted a 14.4-kV overhead power line, the two workers did not sustain any injuries. Electrical fire evidence indicates that the electrical power discharged to ground through an outrigger and pad.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra, finger
Core Activity : Concrete reinforcing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007117080155
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker was working on a cage of reinforcing steel using a work positioning fall protection system. His work positioning hook was reportedly anchored to an open-ended horizontal bar. The main hook had a broken spring on the safety latch, rendering the hook and latch ineffective. The worker fell approximately 6-8 feet to grade, landing on his back.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007144250182
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A 400-barrel methanol tank caught fire and exploded. The fire spread to two tanks for produced water.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Demolition
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155070119
Date of Incident : 2007-May

While demolishing a single-family residence, an excavator ruptured a live gas line.
Injury Type : Broken ankle
Core Activity : Loading and unloading goods
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107270037
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A forklift operator was unloading a freight trailer. He put the forklift in neutral and exited the cab to release strapping that held a pallet of goods against the trailer wall. The forklift rolled forward and crushed his foot against the pallet.
Injury Type : Crushing injury to leg
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007037470181
Date of Incident : 2007-May

An unsloped, unshored excavation (6 feet deep, 4 feet wide) in clay-type soil partially collapsed. A worker in the trench was partly buried.
Injury Type : Crush injury to lower leg
Core Activity : Manufacture of concrete building components
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680095
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was helping a driver uncouple a transport trailer from a tractor unit. The worker stepped in front of the drive wheels of the truck to retrieve a tool just as the truck began to move ahead. The truck drove over the worker's leg.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Painting preparation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030156
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A nearly-completed residential construction project was being prepared for painting. A worker who was dusting walls and window mouldings fell through a second-floor unguarded floor opening to the tiled floor approximately 11 feet below.
Injury Type : Broken and lacerated finger
Core Activity : Manufacture of wood-burning pellets
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007058250237
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker went down to the rail bin to check on the production level. At the bulk storage silo, he reached down to move the canvas-type flap on the unloader auger so that he could check the amount of waste materials coming out of storage. The slow-moving auger caught his finger.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Cleaning conveyor
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670218
Date of Incident : 2007-May

At an asphalt plant, an explosion and fire occurred within a conveyor belt enclosure housing.
Injury Type : Sprains and bruises
Core Activity : Local government and related operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520041
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was assessing some structures that needed to be removed from city property along an embankment. The worker slipped and rolled approximately 40 feet down the 45-degree embankment, ending in a metal flume (drainage trough).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete forming
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007118870369
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a tower crane was removing an elevator core panel, the rigging (chain shortener) failed, causing the tower crane to be shock loaded.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550127
Date of Incident : 2007-May

The lower 6 inches of the rigging chains of a tower crane contacted a 12-kV power line.
Injury Type : Fractured wrists, lacerations, abrasions
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007155700128
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was standing on top of a concrete wall 12 feet above grade, attempting to kick free a form panel 12 feet high by 8 feet wide. When the form panel suddenly released, the worker lost his balance and fell to the gravel below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Compressed gas supply
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007090821744
Date of Incident : 2007-May

Workers were refilling/repairing a compressed gas cylinder that had been returned by a customer. The cylinder had previously held nitrogen. When the cylinder valve was opened to relieve residual pressure, a substance suspected of being a mercaptan compound was released.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis and leg
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007113830107
Date of Incident : 2007-May

Two workers were moving 4x8 sheets of insulation to the top of the elevator shaft roof (8.5 feet x 9.5 feet). They were trying to reposition the sheets so that there was room to add a second bundle. Next to the flat elevator roof where they were working, there was a sloped rooftop with uncovered skylights. While moving the sheets into position, one worker lost his balance and fell backwards through the skylight to the concrete 18 feet below.
Injury Type : Nausea, tingling of mouth area, shortness of breath (3 workers)
Core Activity : Digging excavation for dike upgrades
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007093710136
Date of Incident : 2007-May

On two separate occasions, three workers were exposed to an unknown substance present in the soil in a recently excavated ditch. A nearby former garbage dump may have affected the soil.
Injury Type : Bruising and soreness
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560191
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker slipped while sheeting roof trusses and fell from a height of 30 feet. His fall was arrested by his fall protection equipment.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Delivery of building materials
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970248
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a truck-mounted crane unloaded building materials at a private residence, its hoist contacted an overhead high-voltage power line. The operator removed the boom from the power line, repositioned the truck, and finished unloading the material.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist
Core Activity : Structural concrete manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450179
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker lost his footing while descending a reinforcing bar mat. The worker fell approximately 3 feet, landing on wooden vertical dowel protection.
Injury Type : Deep bruising; pain in upper body
Core Activity : Floor covering distribution
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280121
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was on a work platform consisting of MDF (medium density fibreboard) panels positioned on steel storage racking. A panel dislodged from the racking, and the worker fell 10 feet to grade, landing on rolls of underlay and the concrete floor. The MDF panels did not meet safety standards for a work platform, and no guardrails or other fall protection system was provided.
Injury Type : Fractured finger, hand laceration
Core Activity : Maintenance in plywood mill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156240061
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A maintenance worker was attempting to clear a sheet of plywood at the infeed area of a sander. The worker's hand got caught between the edge of the plywood and a guard on the infeed drive.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Driving vehicle
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158910048
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A commercial van was making a left turn when it was struck on the driver's side by a privately owned pickup truck.
Injury Type : Amputation and laceration injuries to fingers
Core Activity : Woodworking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007037470156
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was doing a partial cleanup of the edge band machine while it was operating. The worker's hand contacted a moving planer head.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Trenching prior to utility connection
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930166
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

An excavator contacted an unmarked underground gas line, causing a release of natural gas.
Injury Type : Whiplash (2 workers)
Core Activity : Bridge, overpass, and viaduct construction and repairs
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730520
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A train with workers on board backed into a stationary locomotive in an underground tunnel. Two of the workers were injured.
Injury Type : Asbestos-related lung disease (1 worker); exposure to asbestos (3 workers)
Core Activity : Maintenance of grounds and facilities
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007095611089
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

Over a number of years, workers who entered a mechanical room were repeatedly exposed to dust from crumbling old asbestos insulation. One worker is known to have acquired asbestos-related disease; three others were exposed and may develop the disease in future.
Injury Type : Broken bones
Core Activity : Framing or residential forming
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007115131654
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was working from a scissor lift. He may have been standing on the guardrails when he fell out of the scissor lift, landing on the ground 25 feet below.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to upper body
Core Activity : Crane assembly and erection
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155070105
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A section of modular steel fencing (10 feet long, 6 feet high and weighing 80 pounds) fell into an excavation 40 feet deep. It struck a glancing blow to the hardhat and shoulder of a worker in the excavation.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007145130173
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A backhoe struck and damaged a 2-inch main gas service line buried approximately 24 inches below grade. Gas leaked out, affecting neighbouring properties. The line had not been located prior to the start of excavation work.
Injury Type : Eye irritation (2 workers)
Core Activity : Changing bottle of chlorine
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007130570148
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As a 150-pound bottle of chlorine was being changed in a pumphouse, a major release of chlorine gas occurred. Two workers were exposed before escaping from the chlorine storage room.
Injury Type : Head injury, broken ribs and collarbone
Core Activity : Wood-framed residential construction
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157560176
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As a worker was walking the top plate of a wall to place roof trusses, he slipped and fell. He landed on the subfloor 8 feet below. A scaffold or 20-inch work platform should have been used to place these roof trusses. Walking the top plate is not permitted.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157270107
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker went out to assess snow conditions on a forestry road. The worker's vehicle was located 50 feet down a steep embankment and the deceased worker was found farther downriver from the vehicle.
Injury Type : Fractured leg bones
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970208
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A young worker's leg was pinned between a 3-foot rock wall and a garden shed when the rock wall collapsed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oilfield fluid hauling and vacuum truck services
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930176
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

One workplace was evacuated and others were put on evacuation notice after city authorities responded to a threat of explosion from the sewer system. An employer in the area had allowed oilfield wastes to enter the sewer lines via shop drains.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Trenching for service line installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930167
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

An excavator was allowed to dig too close to a marked underground gas pipeline, resulting in contact and a release of natural gas.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing for road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157600115
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

An excavator was backfilling around a gas line when the fusion joint between two gas line sections failed. The gas company attended the scene, stopping the leak and repairing the joint. It is believed that the failure was likely caused by a poor fusion between lengths of line, not the backfilling techniques used at the site. The gas company is reviewing the gas line contractor's work and may randomly check other fusion joints.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Falling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970233
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A 100-foot-high Ponderosa pine (23-inch diameter) was being felled on a residential lot. The felled tree brushed a standing tree, then contacted a 12.4-kV power line.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist
Core Activity : House demolition
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970238
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A young worker was standing on a piece of plywood that he believed was nailed to the top of a ladder that went to the lower level. The plywood gave way, and he fell more than 10 feet to the lower level.
Injury Type : Noise exposure (2 workers, 1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Ski hill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007037470182
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A double-primed explosive being placed by a bomb tram zip line became hung up in some branches. The blasting crew retreated to a safe area. The shot went off and a piece of material flew back, landing in the deep snow approximately 30 feet from one of the blasters. This material then blew up.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to shoulders and back
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450180
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As workers were manually lifting a 20-foot-high, 8-foot-wide framed wall, the kickers broke free. The wall fell, striking one worker.
Injury Type : Grazed scalp, dizziness, soreness
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157620148
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

To help an excavator move up a steep section of the logging block, the operator grabbed hold of a stump. The stump dislodged, causing the excavator to roll onto its roof.
Injury Type : Chest and head contusions and lacerations
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131670
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker tripped at the top of unguarded mezzanine and fell to grade 14 feet below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas service installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155260066
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

Workers were clearing out a trench (gas service line) to perform welding when the backhoe contacted a 220-volt secondary line.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Land clearing or site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007108320038
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A land owner, who was not registered with WorkSafeBC, was tending a land-clearing burn pile. He was struck in the chest area by a tree stump weighing approximately 950 pounds.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007118870332
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As formwork scaffolding was being repositioned, a 4x6 beam on the scaffolding fell approximately 20 feet and struck a worker. The falling beam broke the worker's hard hat.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Landscaping or installation of lawn irrigation system
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155270123
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

On a golf course, an excavator was beginning to excavate a test hole with the assistance of a spotter. The excavator bucket broke through a PVC conduit and pulled out a 10-foot length of 7.2-kV electrical conductor.
Injury Type : Head laceration
Core Activity : Formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131666
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

During a concrete pour, a worker was shaking a concrete pump line that had become plugged. When the concrete suddenly released within the pipe, the line moved with a force that threw the worker up and over the adjacent guardrail. The worker subsequently fell 16 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131663
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A truck crane swung a pallet load of concrete roof tiles into a 25-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Crushed leg
Core Activity : Garbage collection
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007113830093
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A truck arrived at a construction site to pick up a garbage disposal bin. The driver parked the truck and went to hook up the bin. The parking brake had not been set, and the truck rolled backwards, seriously injuring the driver.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Tire service and repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680083
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A tire service technician was re-inflating a new front tire mounted on a crane truck. The tire separated from the one-piece aluminum rim and struck the worker.
View a slide show on tire servicing:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?reportid=34001
See a manual on large tire servicing:
http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/large_vehicle_tire.pdf
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Deck construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155260065
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A zoom-boom rough-terrain forklift was offloading a laminated veneer beam weighing approximately 150 pounds onto a scaffold. One end of the beam was placed on the scaffold deck while the other end was being supported and lowered by a young worker on the deck. The worker suddenly dropped the end of the beam from waist height. The beam dropped onto the cross-support for the scaffold and the horizontal member snapped, causing the scaffold deck to drop. The worker slid off the deck and rode 2x10s to the ground approximately 32 feet. The worker was wearing a fall protection harness but was not connected to his lifeline. The employer had not provided adequate training and supervision and did not have a written fall protection plan as required.
Injury Type : Broken ribs and pelvis, punctured lung (non-worker)
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007130680064
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A self-employed roofer (not registered with WorkSafeBC) was on a steep residential roof removing roof tiles before re-roofing. The roofer fell approximately 20 feet from an area of the roof to ground level. In addition, asbestos-containing roof tiles were being removed without safe asbestos abatement procedures.
Injury Type : Severed spinal cord
Core Activity : Heavy equipment, machinery, or parts sales, service, or repair
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007107970228
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A bulldozer was attempting to drive out of a 40-foot shipping container whose floor was about 18 inches higher than the unloading ramp. Dunnage had not been installed to raise the ramp to the level of the container floor. When the dozer drove out of the container, its front end dropped to the lower unloading ramp. As the dozer tilted, it reached close to the top of the shipping container and pinned the operator against the top sill. The dozer had no cab or canopy because of the limited height of the container.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries (7 workers)
Core Activity : Fixed-wing VFR operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930067
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A fixed-wing aircraft crashed on take-off. The pilot and 6 forestry workers (including one young worker) on board suffered minor injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dairy farming
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007114050154
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As a 27-foot-high metal grain silo was being repositioned by a front-end loader, it contacted a 14.4-kV energized overhead power line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007152480120
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A feller-buncher was taking down an 85-foot dead lodgepole pine. The butt of the tree collapsed in the collector arms and the top of the tree struck a 14.4-kV power line.
Injury Type : Broken bones in arms, impact injuries to face
Core Activity : Drywall installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157550118
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was taping drywall, working from a baker's scaffold. It appears that a wheel on the scaffold broke, and he fell to the cement floor. The scaffold did not meet safety standards, and the worker was working alone without orientation or supervision.
Injury Type : Compound fracture of leg
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680077
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker stepped onto a floor-level cover on an industrial food-mixing machine. The cover slid off the opening (2 feet by 2 feet) and the worker's leg was caught in the auger-type mixer. The cover was ill-fitting and unsecured, and WorkSafeBC found safeguarding and lockout issues with the operation of the machine.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007146890038
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was operating a lift truck with the mast in an elevated position. The mast caught and pulled a telephone line, breaking off a nearby utility pole that also supported high-voltage lines.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, head laceration
Core Activity : Sales and delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680080
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A delivery driver who handles cash transactions was standing in the back of his delivery truck when he was struck on the back of the head by an unknown assailant.
Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007143950080
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was on the second level of a building removing a 2x4 approximately 12 feet long attached to the exterior of a window opening. The board fell and struck the head of a young worker below. The horizontal 2x4 and two upright 2x4s were part of a guardrail system that had been used on the second level.
Injury Type : Fractured skull
Core Activity : Forklift repair and sales
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007154960120
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A hydraulic floor jack was used to raise one side of a forklift to gain access to motor brackets requiring repair. While a worker's head was under it, the forklift suddenly lowered. The forklift had not been secured against inadvertent movement before the worker began maintenance work. The worker had not been adequately trained and supervised in working under an elevated load.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007118870320
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A powered concrete finishing trowel on a wheeled dolly was struck by mobile equipment. The dolly then rolled down an underground parking ramp and struck a scaffolding system. The scaffolding partially collapsed, resulting in a worker being restrained on the scaffolding system.
Injury Type : Crush injury and laceration to hand
Core Activity : Sheet metal fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007105910096
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A young worker was feeding a piece of sheet metal into a 3-foot power roller machine. One of the worker's hands supported the metal being fed. As he directed the metal, his hand slid into the rollers. As he tried to free his hand, his clothing caught in the rollers and he was pulled forward and trapped in a position from which he could not reach either the lever to stop the rollers or the emergency stop button to de-energize the machine.
Injury Type : Serious burns
Core Activity : Bulk storage and distillation of waste products
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007158910042
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was using a hand-held grinder fitted with a cut-off wheel to cut a hole into the top of a steel tank. The tank, which was approximately 16 feet high, contained liquid waste glycol (anti-freeze) product. As he was on top of the tank cutting into the metal, an explosion occurred, followed by fire. Forced off the tank, the worker grabbed the ladder on an adjacent tank and slipped to grade.
Injury Type : Minor laceration, bruising
Core Activity : Stall cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007101100043
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A yearling bull was placed in a holding pen so his stall could be cleaned. The bull escaped from the holding pen, headed down the barn's central walkway, and knocked a worker to the ground.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007138190130
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A restaurant was robbed while a young worker was working alone at night.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007034450158
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A canter operator left his work station, with the control power off, for his regular break. During his break, another worker entered the machine to install new knives, without performing lockout. When the canter operator returned to his work station, he noticed that the panel lights were active. Fortunately, he inspected the machine by monitor and saw the worker who had entered the machine.
Injury Type : Fractured wrists
Core Activity : Drywall installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007143950075
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

Three workers were moving 10-foot sheets of drywall up to a second-level landing that was 10 feet above the main level. Two of the workers stood on the landing while the third worker passed the drywall sheets up to them. One worker lost his balance and fell from the landing to the main level. The guardrail had been removed for this work activity, but no other fall protection system had been provided.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to lower arm
Core Activity : Constructing a landscape retaining wall
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120081
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A mini-excavator was assisting in the construction of a retaining wall. As the operator (a young worker) swung the excavator bucket in one direction, the retaining wall gave way. The excavator tipped over, landing on the roof of its two-post protective structure. Fortunately, the retaining wall was only 2 feet high at this location and the knuckle of the boom helped to support the upside-down excavator so that the operator escaped with minor injuries.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750143
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A tractor unit (without an attached trailer) failed to negotiate a curve on a highway. It side-swiped a private vehicle travelling in the opposite direction, then went through a no-post guardrail and fell 200 feet to train tracks below. The cab and chassis separated on the way down the embankment.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to leg
Core Activity : Residential plumbing and heating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155730473
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was caught between two work vehicles when the driver's foot slipped off the clutch and one of the vehicles jerked backward.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Service station
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970184
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A 24-hour gas station was held up by two individuals wielding knives. The attendant was working alone at the time.
Injury Type : Fatal (1 non-worker); serious injuries (1-non-worker)
Core Activity : Trucking load in transit
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157520147
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A private vehicle travelling on a highway made a left turn into the path of an oncoming loaded 5-ton delivery truck. One non-worker in the private vehicle died, another was seriously injured. The truck driver was not physically harmed.
Injury Type : Amputation of one finger
Core Activity : Renovation work
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960114
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was ripping stock on an unguarded table saw. While feeding wood through the saw, his hand slipped forward and contacted the 9-inch blade. A push stick was not being used.
See a slide show about safeguarding for table saws:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34503
Injury Type : Fractured bone in foot
Core Activity : Plaster and stucco work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155730468
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was removing stucco buckets from a roof with a 5/12 slope when he slipped and fell approximately 17 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip, lacerated finger
Core Activity : Shake and shingle mill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137160113
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A shingle sawyer was adjusting the circular head saw carriage (gauging up) when his hand slipped and contacted the saw.
Injury Type : Bruising and stiffness
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640164
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

The operator of an articulating rock truck jumped from the truck when it appeared that the truck had become unstable during dumping. The operator fell between the rear front axle of the dump box and the front steering axle and managed to avoid serious injury by crawling out from under the slow-moving truck. The truck travelled backwards down a 50 percent slope for 100 feet before stopping on the road below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Ice rink operation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007144250166
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A community centre was evacuated and closed when a worker noticed that the roof, which had several feet of snow on it, was sagging and showing signs of failure. The next day, engineers determined that the roof was too unstable for the snow to be removed. The roof collapsed several days later.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560152
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As a dump truck raised its 30-foot-long dump box, it contacted an energized overhead 230-kV transmission line.
Injury Type : Back pain
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960109
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was kneeling on a low-slope roof near an unguarded edge, pulling on a section of cap flashing. As the flashing released, the worker fell backwards, falling off the edge of the roof and landing on grass adjacent to a concrete sidewalk. The drop to grade was 4 metres (13 feet, 4 inches).
Injury Type : Severe injuries to the head
Core Activity : Mobile equipment maintenance
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007154930145
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was disassembling a track tensioning component on a tree processor using a cutting torch to remove a steel end fitting from the spring system. The spring parts had not been de-energized and made secure. Energy stored in the large outer spring released, causing large pieces of steel to strike the worker with great force. The worker was working alone in a remote area and was exposed to the cold before he was found and given first aid.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Hot asphalt roofing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157560151
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

On a roofing project, two ladder sections side by side and a tarp were used as a makeshift chute for debris. The assembly reached from the deck of a scaffold up 10 feet to a flat roof. A large refuse bin was placed in front of the scaffold/chute assembly. A young worker was instructed to climb one of the ladders and slide 4x8 plywood sheets up the rails to the upper level. He lost his balance while trying to free a corner of the plywood that became caught. He fell from the ladder onto the scaffold, then into the refuse bin, falling 6-7 feet.
Injury Type : Amputation of two fingertips
Core Activity : Pre-hung door assembly
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640160
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was ripping door-stop material when the material kicked back. One of the worker's hands was drawn into the rotating saw blade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Industrial or commercial highrise construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750141
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A zoom-boom forklift was assisting a tractor unit with a 53-foot trailer to negotiate a corner by lifting the trailer as the truck backed up. In the process, the truck pushed the trailer and forklift towards the edge of the road. The soft shoulder gave way and the forklift toppled onto its side.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970185
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was performing cleanup duties on a roof. He removed an unsecured wooden pallet used to cover a roof opening. He lost his balance while lifting the pallet and fell 10 feet, 2 inches to the stairwell landing below.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Log barge unloading
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007155610058
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was using a Jacob's ladder (rope or chain ladder) to climb from the bow of a stationary log barge to the deck of a towboat approximately 27 feet below. At some point during his descent, the worker fell and landed on the steel deck of the towboat.
Injury Type : Severe crush injury of hand
Core Activity : Recycling depot
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120200
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

As a vertical downstroke baler was crushing cardboard boxes, a worker tried to shove an escaping piece of cardboard back into the bale box. The hydraulic ram caught the worker's glove, crushing the worker's hand.


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