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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

2008 July - August

Injury Type : Wrist injury
Core Activity : Food processing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155400269
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a worker was doing maintenance work on food processing machinery, one hand was caught and pulled into the area between a corrugated drum and the drive shaft.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154960212
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was placing a beam at the 24-foot level of suspended slab falsework when he slipped and fell to grade.
Injury Type : Back injury (1 young worker); hand injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Sanitary sewer installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155400256
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

During the installation of sewer pipe, a 5-metre-long steel trench shield (cage) was used in the excavation. The cage was pulled forward as the trench was dug out. When a section of the trench bank collapsed in front of the trench shield, the soil fell into the open excavation. It then slid into the open end of the cage, shifting the sewer pipe as two workers (one of them a young worker) were positioning it.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950299
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

An excavator was loading soil into a dump truck. The excavator's bucket contacted and ruptured a 1.25-inch natural gas line.
Injury Type : Head wound, arm injury
Core Activity : General retail
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008128230315
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was working alone at a store inside a mall. The worker asked three people to leave the store. They refused, and when the worker was on the phone contacting security, he was attacked.
See a list of materials for preventing violence in retail, including a handbook for service stations:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/SmallBusiness/SafetyforBusiness.asp?ReportID=32788
Injury Type : Loss of consciousness; undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008111110439
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was found unresponsive in a veneer chip conveyor. The worker was caught between a load-carrying roller and a conveyor belt.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Motel operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980242
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A person jumped over the counter and robbed the till. The worker on duty was not injured.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness; broken vertebrae
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155400273
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a worker stepped into a utility trailer, he slipped on the wet floor and fell backwards. His head struck the pavement 1.5 feet below the floor of the trailer.
Injury Type : Lacerations, broken bone, bruising
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008111110440
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was on a top plate 8 to 9 feet above grade, standing trusses, when the trusses became unstable and fell onto him. He managed to climb down off the top plate to the ground floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise concrete construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008160580198
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

The load line of one tower crane contacted the jib of a second tower crane several times in a two-day period. The tower crane operators and riggers did not report these crane contacts to their managers.
Injury Type : Mild concussion, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Delivery of trusses
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155270237
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was rigging wooden trusses for crane delivery when he fell from a flatbed trailer to the ground (about 5 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008115132288
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A lower tower crane contacted the load being moved by a higher tower crane.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Steel stud/drywall installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950252
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was relocating a telescopic boom lift between an excavation and a guarded natural gas meter cap. One of the lift's rough-terrain tires struck the gas meter cap, damaging a regulator and releasing natural gas onto the job site.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008163790018
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker driving to a road construction site was involved a multi-vehicle accident.
Injury Type : Head laceration
Core Activity : Retail building supplies
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008159110169
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was erecting a large display rack made of steel tubing. An L-shaped piece (about 10 feet by 6 feet) slipped off the post it was leaning against and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Electrical burns, broken bones, internal injuries
Core Activity : Billboard poster installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008157620195
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was installing a poster on a billboard when the 10-foot metal pole used to attach the poster contacted a 25-kV power line. The worker, who was not wearing fall protection equipment, fell to the ground (about 27 feet).
Injury Type : Head lacerations, bruising to upper body
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008160670153
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A loaded logging truck with a tri-axle trailer rolled (360 degrees) over a steep embankment on a haul road.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700154
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a worker stripped a piece of BX cable, he contacted the enclosed live 347-volt electrical circuit.
Injury Type : Severed finger
Core Activity : Oilfield mat manufacture
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008140970406
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was placing a 12-foot-long 2x10 fir plank against a steel forming jig. Another worker's finger was caught between the plank and the jig.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra and finger
Core Activity : Exterior restoration
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700155
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was looking for a tool that had landed in some bushes when he fell over a 6-foot drop.
Injury Type : Back injury, bruising
Core Activity : Framing and forming
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008129920190
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker fell 10.75 feet while helping to place a 17-foot-long exterior wall on the second floor of a building under construction.
Injury Type : Serious injuries to fingers
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008157440186
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was straightening an 18-foot-long board on the trimmer infeed deck. The end of the board became caught under the infeed belt and pulled the worker's hand along with the board.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Landfill maintenance
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008159110168
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A dump truck loaded with 2-inch crush was descending a haul road with a grade of 12 percent. The brakes were not effective and the truck gained speed. The truck travelled more than 400 metres after the brakes failed, then the driver deliberately turned the truck to roll it, to stop its descent. The cab remained upright, the box tipped (spilling its load), and the truck stopped.
Injury Type : Fractures, lacerations, contusions
Core Activity : Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240203
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

The operator of a side-boom tracked crawler parked the machine and exited the cab. The machine began to roll forward. The operator (a young worker) tried to climb back onto the machine but fell on the track and was pulled between the track and the side-boom mounting structure.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Building maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155400255
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A ladder had been set up on sand and was not secured. When it tilted over, the worker on it fell 10-12 feet.
Injury Type : Hand injuries
Core Activity : Water truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008160530233
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a water truck was being turned around on a slope, the load of water shifted. The truck tipped over and rolled twice.
Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Low slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008128230301
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

During re-roofing, a worker fell 7 feet to the deck below, then fell an additional 5 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pile driving
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980225
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A crane used for pile driving was moving metal pilings. The pilings struck a barge, causing the main crane boom to fail and land in the lake.
Injury Type : Eye injury
Core Activity : Installation of site services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008117640412
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was cutting 8-inch PVC pipe with an abrasive wheel designed for cutting steel. The wheel started to wobble, then shattered. The worker was wearing eye protection, but a piece of abrasive struck the protection with enough force to push it into one eye.
Injury Type : Broken foot
Core Activity : Metal deck installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550176
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker fell about 12.75 feet from a metal deck mezzanine that he was helping to install.
Injury Type : Headache, nausea, abrasion, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Bridge construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560264
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

The boom of a manlift had been extended into the danger zone of some rigging when a ground-level, horizontal-to-vertical pulley attachment failed. The 2.5-ton load caused a tensioned winch cable to straighten and hook the underside of the manlift. A young worker in the lift was thrown out. The worker's fall protection equipment saved him from a 25-foot fall to the concrete below.
Injury Type : Minor injuries (2 workers)
Core Activity : Cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008115132285
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was on an aluminum extension ladder, cleaning walls. The ladder became unstable, causing the worker to fall about 10 feet and land on a worker below.
Injury Type : Injury to vertebrae
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155400257
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker slipped on a piece of plastic while descending a stairway. The stairway was outfitted with a handrail.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness; soft-tissue injuries; possible concussion
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950249
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was verifying elevations of a scaffold system that supported a suspended formwork deck. Another worker, positioned higher, inadvertently dropped a 4x8 sheet of 3/4-inch plywood. The sheet of plywood struck the lower worker on the back of the neck.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008161750211
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was attempting to cross a creek when he fell into it and was swept a short distance downstream and over a waterfall.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Chemical processing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008111970218
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A furnace used to melt lithium caught fire. It was difficult to suppress the fire because lithium is highly reactive and burns in water.
Injury Type : 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns
Core Activity : Fishnet cleaning and repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008116270162
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker fell into a fishnet disinfection tank containing water at 60 degrees Celsius.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures, deep bruises
Core Activity : Paving services
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008144250167
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was driving on a main by-pass road when the worker's vehicle was struck by an oncoming vehicle (driven by a non-worker) that crossed the centre line.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Manual tree falling and bucking
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2008161740224
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

To overcome a falling difficulty, a faller was falling two green trees by pushing one tree into the other. As the two trees fell, a 12-metre-high dead danger tree (located uphill from the green trees) fell onto the faller.
Read an inspection report about a similar incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/AccidentInvestigations/IR-PrimaryResources.asp?ReportID=34625
Injury Type : 1st- and 2nd-degree burns
Core Activity : Metal recycling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008111110424
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was using an oxyacetylene cutting torch when another person mistakenly doused the fire with methyl hydrate (undiluted windshield-washing liquid). The resulting fireball injured the worker.
Injury Type : Burn to hand
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008144250166
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was using towels to remove the grease catch screens from above a restaurant grill. The worker dropped one of the screens and sustained a burn.
Injury Type : Undetermined injury to hand
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161770400
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was nailing a wooden wall frame using a pneumatic nail gun when a nail discharged into his hand.
See a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Head laceration
Core Activity : Power washing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008145130299
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker fell 9.5 feet off a deck he was power washing.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs
Core Activity : Installation of prefabricated buildings
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700152
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A prefabricated building was being lifted using a hydraulic jack. A wooden crib block slipped and struck the worker operating the jack.
Injury Type : Leg injuries, internal injuries
Core Activity : Glass shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008128220115
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was opening a crate of 28 glass sheets (each about 11 x 5 feet) when the contents of the crate tipped. The worker fell backwards and was trapped under the full load of glass (about 4,000 pounds).
Injury Type : Electric shock
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008112850192
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a tower crane was landing a load of construction materials during a thunderstorm, a lightning flash produced an induced electrical current. When the rigger grabbed the load chain, he sustained an electric shock.
Injury Type : Undetermined leg injuries
Core Activity : Drainage pipe placement
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155730219
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A piece of drainage pipe was being placed on a hill. A backhoe was supporting the pipe in position (about 8 inches off the ground) for welding by a worker on the ground (a young worker). The backhoe operator was exiting the cab when he inadvertently contacted the controls, causing the pipe to shift and strike the worker's legs.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Fish farm maintenance work
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008137160143
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was doing maintenance work on a fish farm when one finger was caught between a roller (capstan) and a rope.
Injury Type : Facial injuries, soft-tissue injury to foot
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008138190196
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A truck with a telescoping boom crane tipped while offloading fish-farm nets from a vessel. The driver/crane operator was injured.
Injury Type : Hand laceration
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480153
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a worker tried to remove a piece of food from a small processing conveyor, one gloved hand got caught in the conveyor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155730220
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A bulldozer was pushing earth forward to create a road to the lower load-away area. The vertically excavated road shoulder collapsed, causing the bulldozer to roll over and down to the lower load-away area (about 9 feet below).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2008161750200
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A loaded off-highway logging truck travelled down a steep haul road and ended up in a ditch quarry. The truck was extensively damaged but the driver was not injured.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Cold storage distribution centre
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008152480207
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker's leg was fractured when the motorized pallet jack he was operating struck metal shelving.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980214
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A small excavator ruptured a 3/4-inch natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008112850185
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

An excavator damaged the protective coating and armour sheath of an underground 120/208-volt electrical conductor, creating a ground fault situation. As a result, the protective coating overheated, melted off the line, and caught fire at the panel.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270284
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A crane operator had rigged a load consisting of two 19-foot steel columns. When the load was suspended about 10 feet off the ground, the operator shut down the crane, using the remote control device. The operator then climbed a stairwell to the top of the building, from where he saw the crane slewing in a southwest direction. Using the remote control, the operator could not stop the crane but was able to lift the load. The crane's boom came to rest 180 degrees from its starting point.
Injury Type : Lacerated leg
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163640030
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was placing floor joists when he fell about 8 feet to the floor below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Transporting equipment
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008143950257
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A dump truck was travelling on a highway, pulling a flat-deck trailer with a boom lift. As it negotiated a corner at the bottom of a hill, the trailer struck a concrete barrier on the side of the highway. The trailer and boom lift overturned.
Injury Type : Broken wrist, bruising
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008137102563
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was on the top step of a 4-foot stepladder, on a balcony 8.5 feet above the ground. He was near the edge of the balcony, nailing a 2x8, when the ladder tipped, causing the worker to fall to the ground (about 12.5 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008140710586
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

An excavator was removing material near the approach to a forest road bridge (12 metres long) when the bridge dropped about 1 metre. The bridge came to rest partway in the river. A worker standing on the bridge at the time of the incident was not injured.
Injury Type : Exposure to friable asbestos (2 workers)
Core Activity : Building maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008109750065
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

Two workers entered a crawl space to install electrical cables and inadvertently knocked over a box. Some loose white insulation material and pipe fittings spilled out. The workers immediately stopped work in the area. A sample of the insulation confirmed that it contained asbestos.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008117670580
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A rough-terrain crane had its boom deployed in the radius of an overhead tower crane. When the tower crane's boom moved into the quadrant of the rough-terrain crane, the two booms made contact.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installing beam for elevator car slings
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950242
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

Elevator workers were hoisting a steel crossbeam piece (weighing about 400 pounds) up an elevator shaft using a series of pulleys and an electric hoist winch. As the beam reached the sixth floor, the hoist winch pulley failed. The beam fell 75 feet, striking a suspended stage on parkade level one.
Injury Type : Abdominal injuries
Core Activity : Siding installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008138190193
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was struck by a nail from a pneumatic nail gun.
See a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Crush injuries to lower leg
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008058250410
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

As a worker was changing banding on a banding machine, the side pattern cycled on its return stroke. The worker's foot slipped and got caught between the platter and the H beam. The worker's footwear did not provide the protection required.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Passenger bus operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240200
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A tour bus left the highway and rolled onto its side. The driver, who was the only person in the bus at the time, died before emergency personnel arrived.
Injury Type : Facial injuries (non-worker)
Core Activity : Metal recycling and salvage
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008156580240
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A customer (non-worker) brought a vehicle loaded with metal to a salvage business. The customer was assisting a crane operator to unload the vehicle when a piece of metal shifted and struck a second piece of metal lying on the ground. The second piece of metal sprang up and struck the customer.
Injury Type : Head injury; fractured bones
Core Activity : Film production
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008146960149
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

Workers were loading a prop (a wooden sign about 6 feet high and 22 feet long) into a truck. One worker was found on the ground after apparently falling from the rear of the truck (a height of slightly more than 4 feet).
Injury Type : Head lacerations, internal injuries, possible concussion
Core Activity : Installing window units
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950244
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was standing on the second rung of a stepladder set up on a sundeck under construction. The ladder was sitting on a piece of plywood placed over the 2x8 wood joists. The worker fell from the ladder and through the joists, landing head-first on gravel 32 inches below the surface of the sundeck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Transit rail installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008115132276
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was doing maintenance on a machine used to lift and move rail sections into place when the machine rolled 40 metres down a tunnel. It knocked down 25-foot-high scaffolding, which three workers had vacated only 15 minutes earlier.
Injury Type : Eye injury
Core Activity : Digging a trench with high-pressure water
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008124120190
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was digging a trench for an electrical conductor using high-pressure water (1500 psi) and a vacuum truck to remove debris. Some of the agitated dirt splashed onto his face, getting in under his safety glasses and into one eye. No face shield was being used.
Injury Type : Fracture and laceration to lower arm
Core Activity : Concrete reinforcing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950254
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

Workers were preparing a third-floor suspended slab to receive concrete. As they removed excess steel reinforcing bars, two of the bars (10.5 metres long, 15 mm diameter) were thrown down towards the ground level. One struck and injured a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mechanical harvesting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240196
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A feller buncher was felling timber in a clearcut opening. The operator noticed smoke coming from under the cab and exited. The fire was extinguished, but the cab and engine compartment were destroyed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008112850183
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

At a construction site, the force of blasting dislodged a high-voltage underground transformer from its concrete vault.
Injury Type : Bruising, soreness
Core Activity : Gas bar and propane filling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980197
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

While filling a propane tank on a motor vehicle, a worker noticed liquid spilling onto the ground. The liquid caught fire and burned the vehicle as well as the outside canopy and pumps of the gas station. Workers in an adjacent restaurant were told to evacuate; while running away from the fire, one fell. None of the workers at the gas bar was injured.
Injury Type : Injury to knee
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008112850174
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was 6 feet up a ladder, having just passed a bundle of asphalt shingles to a worker on the roof. The worker on the roof lost control of the bundle, which then slid down the roof and struck the ladder. The worker on the ladder was knocked off and landed on the deck below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980208
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Fly rock struck two private vehicles inside the danger area.
See a slide show about a similar blasting incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34853
Injury Type : Fractures
Core Activity : Metal product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008116120220
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was getting a 5-ton truck ready to make deliveries when the truck rolled forward, pinning him against another truck. The truck was on a slight incline, and its parking brake was not engaged.
Injury Type : Exposure to mercury
Core Activity : Health care facility
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008113210089
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was taking his own blood pressure with a wall-mounted blood pressure machine when mercury leaked from the machine. Mercury spilled onto the worker, the wall, and the floor.
Injury Type : Fractured wrist
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155070215
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A roofer fell about 15 feet from a ladder to grade.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Oil or gas well servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008124490120
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A truck hauling materials from well completion work was travelling in a convoy of eight vehicles. As the truck entered a corner to a bridge approach, it failed to properly negotiate the turn onto the bridge. The truck straddled the bull rail on the side of the bridge, then rolled off the bridge and landed upside down on the river bed below. The driver, who was wearing a seatbelt, sustained only minor injuries.
Injury Type : Amputated fingers
Core Activity : Drilling rig operations
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008163800024
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker on a drilling rig was cleaning a lighting plant generator. His fingers inadvertently slipped inside the fan guard and were amputated.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas plant
Location : Northeast BC
ID Number : 2008144250173
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

Workers arriving at a gas plant found that the top of a sour water tank (a 400-barrel tank used in the production of oil and gas to store produced water) had been blown off the support structure and was hanging by the piping from the top of the tank.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Well servicing using a service rig
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008144250169
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

During a gas well servicing, a service rig was picking up a snubbing unit stack when the service rig draw works brakes failed. The snubbing unit fell onto the draw works of the service rig. The brakes on the main hosting winch had been serviced several months earlier, but the hoisting equipment had not been load tested and this was the first lift since the repair work.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas field servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008163790014
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A number of 400-barrel production tanks (storage tanks for oil and gas production) had been opened for cleaning. The tanks were venting hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas directly into the atmosphere. Tests at the site showed rates as high as 350 ppm, but no workers were injured.
Injury Type : Crushing injuries
Core Activity : Railcar loading
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008124490105
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker started to open the sliding door to a railcar about to be loaded with pulp products. The door fell off the support brackets and to the ground, landing on top of the worker.
See a hazard alert based on this incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/posters.asp?reportID=35327
Injury Type : Fractured fingers
Core Activity : Building supply
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154970383
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A forklift was lowering a load of pressure-treated pine decking (estimated weight of about 3,500 pounds) when the load shifted. The forklift flipped onto its side, and the operator (a young worker) was thrown from the machine.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008161290196
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

The boom of a large excavator contacted a 600-volt 3-phase overhead power line. One of the lines grounded, and the pole supporting the power line fractured. The power line landed on a fence. The operator was able to back the excavator clear of the line.
Injury Type : Amputation of lower arm
Core Activity : Wood products mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008157380134
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker needed to remove debris from a lathe. He removed the guard and stuck his hand inside. The machine, which had not been locked out, amputated his lower arm.
See a slide show about amputations at sawmills caused by improper lockout:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34965
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting in an urban area
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163270023
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

During blasting, fly rock flew about 250 feet. The fly rock broke a window pane, roof tiles, and a vehicle's windshield. It also damaged the hood of another parked vehicle.
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 : Soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Plumbing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008116120201
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was on an extension ladder when its feet kicked out and he fell to the ground (about 10 feet).
Injury Type : Fractured bones in legs
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008107970337
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A young worker was 15 feet up an unsecured extension ladder. When the base of the ladder shifted on the tiled floor, the worker rode the ladder partway down, then jumped to the floor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560242
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

During residential framing, the jib of a 30-ton mobile crane folded over backwards.
Injury Type : Multiple contusions, bruising
Core Activity : Retail operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157570194
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker pursued a suspected shoplifter. The person being pursued assaulted the worker.
See a hazard alert about another shoplifting incident in which a worker was injured:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34184
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Heavy equipment service and repairs
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008158820198
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A transport truck and trailer pulled down a low-voltage power line while manoeuvring in the yard of a business.
Injury Type : Heat stress and exposure to carbon monoxide (2 workers)
Core Activity : Concrete placing and finishing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008111770087
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

Workers were finishing a large indoor area of newly poured concrete flooring. They were exposed to carbon monoxide from gasoline-powered trowels. Some workers also had symptoms of heat stress. Two workers were affected more than the others.
Read an article on the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning:
http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/newsletters/worksafe_magazine/ Assets/PDF/wsm_jul_aug_2008.pdf#pg14 [PDF 330 KB]
See a booklet on preventing heat stress at work:
http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety/by_topic/ assets/pdf/heat_stress.pdf [PDF 2.3 MB]
Injury Type : Head and facial injuries
Core Activity : Resort operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008113820242
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker fell out of the box of a moving pickup truck.
Injury Type : Fatal (5 workers); serious injuries (1 worker); minor injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Fixed-wing visual flight rule operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008158930178
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

An airplane crashed while transporting six workers to a remote logging operation. The pilot and four of the workers died; two other workers survived.
Injury Type : Broken bones, head laceration
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157410203
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

A worker was standing on the top plate installing joists on the first level of a wood-frame townhouse. The worker fell 9 feet and struck his head on the concrete floor below.
Watch a video about falls from top plate:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=34743
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008116120234
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

On a new building, two workers were installing a window above a lower roof edge. One worker was on the roof, the other (a young worker) in the bucket of a powered elevating platform positioned at the roof's edge and below the window provisionally placed in the framing. The worker on the roof removed the temporary metal clips (dutchies) holding the window in place to size flashing for installation around the window. The worker then went to cut the flashing without replacing the dutchies. The window tipped out of the framing and landed on the outstretched arm of the worker in the lift bucket.
Injury Type : Broken leg
Core Activity : Longline and trap fishing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280219
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A pickup truck was on a marine dock, loading gear. As a worker placed one hand on the truck's tailgate, the tailgate unexpectedly dropped. The worker, who either was struck by the tailgate or slipped, fell about 8 feet from the dock to a float below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete pumping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158880353
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A 52-metre concrete pump truck extended its boom, parallel with the ground, over its front outrigger. It was being used as a line pump in this configuration when the ground under the outrigger pad failed and the pump truck tipped, coming to rest on its boom tip.
Injury Type : Laceration, soft-tissue injuries, possible minor concussion
Core Activity : Truss manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008102100261
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Slings were being rigged to offload a 530-pound parallel strand beam (34 feet long, 2 feet wide, 9 inches thick) from a flatbed semi-trailer. The unstable beam fell and struck a worker. At the time, the beam was not suspended, nor was the crane boom being operated.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Digging test holes
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008137102548
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Workers were digging test holes for the site engineer when they contacted the protective PVC conduit of a 25-kV primary conductor.
Injury Type : Head injury, bruising, abrasions
Core Activity : Bucket lift operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008143950245
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was in a vehicle-mounted bucket lift, removing a banner from the side of a building. The worker was wearing a fall protection harness but it was not attached to the lanyard anchored on the bucket. The gate on the bucket opened, and the worker fell to the pavement about 20 feet below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil and gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008163790006
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A meter skid (a device for measuring natural gas) had been rebuilt and pressure tested with nitrogen. After the pressure test, a large volume of natural gas leaked.
Injury Type : Neck injury
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008090580338
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was standing on a flat-roofed carport, spraying stain onto an exterior wall of a residential complex. The worker fell off the roof and landed on the ground. The carport was located on a slope, so the distance from the roof to the ground varied from just under 10 feet to just over 11 feet. No fall protection system was in place.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550171
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During a re-roofing operation, some debris missed the debris chute. It struck a low-voltage power line adjacent to the building, causing a power outage.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing, excavation, or site surface preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156160231
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During landscaping activities at a business, a propane line was severed. Utilities had not been located before excavating began.
Injury Type : Sore neck, back
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750257
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was on a stepladder, using a reciprocating saw. When the saw jammed, the worker lost his balance and fell 4-5 feet.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood pellet manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008109150435
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A bearing failed on a wood pellet press. This caused sawdust to explode inside the pellet cooler cyclone, which in turn ignited sawdust stored in the adjacent raw product room. Workers fought the resulting fire, which was eventually extinguished by firefighters.
Injury Type : Multiple broken bones
Core Activity : Re-roofing 5:12 roof
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155730188
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During re-roofing, a worker on a 5:12 residential roof fell to the ground (about 20 feet). No guardrails or fall protection system or equipment were in place.
Read an investigation report into the death of a young construction worker who died after falling from a similar height:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/AccidentInvestigations/IR-Construction.asp?ReportID=34151
Injury Type : Severed artery
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008107970327
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was trying to cut a zap strap with a knife. The knife cut the strap, then slipped and severed an artery. The worker survived due to the quick action of the first aid attendant.
Injury Type : Exposure to solvent vapours
Core Activity : Light equipment, machinery or parts wholesale
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008124120187
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was overcome by solvent fumes while cleaning the inside of a waste oil tank with an aerosol can of automotive brake and parts cleaner.
Injury Type : Bruising, foot injury
Core Activity : Sailing instruction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158880340
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Workers were launching boats from a wharf into the water. A young worker was bent down near the edge of the wharf. The worker stood up and bumped a boat that had just been positioned for launching. As a result, the worker fell from the edge of the wharf and landed on a vessel about 15 feet below.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Delivery of roofing materials
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008108440117
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

While delivering roofing materials, an articulating truck-mounted crane contacted the primary phase of an overhead 25-kV electrical line. The current passed to ground through an outrigger that was contacting an adjacent garbage dumpster. The operator was not injured.
Injury Type : Head, back, leg injuries
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700133
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A crane on a barge was picking up an aerial lift from the dock to move it onboard the barge. A worker noticed that the aerial lift's basket was impeded by a piece of equipment on the dock and worked to free it. When the basket suddenly came free, the aerial lift pivoted on the rigging and the basket started to rise with the worker hanging on. The worker fell to grade when the basket was 35 feet in the air.
Injury Type : Injuries to back, leg
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450271
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was lowering tools from a third-level sundeck by slowly feeding a line attached to the tools. As he leaned over a temporary railing, it gave away and he fell 22 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Amputation injuries to hand
Core Activity : Fishing supply manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008157490209
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was removing metal filings from the cutting area of a milling machine when one hand contacted the running saw blade.
Injury Type : Burns to upper body (1 worker); loss of consciousness (1 worker); gas inhalation, minor burns and cuts (1 worker)
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008116120192
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Two workers in a restaurant kitchen were seriously injured when a motor vehicle veered off the highway and crashed through the outside wall. A third worker was hurt when he tried to assist the two workers and turn off the gas flow to the ruptured gas lines.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Grain mill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163210015
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was on a ladder opening a feed bin door of a grain hopper when the weight of grain pushed the door open. The door struck the ladder, knocking the worker off. The worker struck a metal box before landing on the floor.
Injury Type : Neck and back injuries
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560224
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was badly injured in a fall of 10 feet from an unguarded scaffold to the concrete slab below.
Injury Type : Exposure to toxic gases
Core Activity : Mushroom farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163270019
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During the production of mushroom compost (a fermentation process), a worker was overcome. The toxic process gases likely included hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S). The worker was wearing a respirator but it did not have the organic vapour cartridge appropriate for the workplace atmosphere.
Injury Type : Amputation of fingers
Core Activity : Fish processing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008137290207
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was checking for a possible blockage in the chute that delivers fish by-product to separation equipment. Several of his fingers got caught in the running conveyor auger.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Transit system construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700134
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Transit track was being installed in a tunnel with a 5 percent grade. When the connection to an equipment trailer failed, the trailer freewheeled down the tunnel on track for about 6 blocks, then continued another 150 feet down the tunnel beyond the track.
Injury Type : Broken ribs
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560221
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

As a loaded dump truck pulled away from a dumping site, it flipped over onto the driver's side. The load of boulders had become stuck in the box so the box did not dump completely when it was raised.
Injury Type : Multiple fractured bones
Core Activity : Air conditioning work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008107970321
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker fell from an extension ladder (about 15 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Municipal public works maintenance
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008136050096
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Workers were excavating a street to locate a water leak. A 3/4-inch natural gas service line was dug up and pulled off the 3-inch main line.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Manual falling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008143950230
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A faller was resting on a stump above the road when he was fatally struck by a runaway log that came down from the forest above him.
Injury Type : Severe lacerations
Core Activity : Decommissioning a former processing plant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008154900069
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was using a hand-held grinder to cut through a pipe 4 inches in diameter and 1/4 inch thick. The cutting disk shattered and severely lacerated the worker.
See a hazard alert about another worker injured while using a hand-held grinder:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34966
Injury Type : Lacerated hand
Core Activity : Backfilling a trench
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008163050040
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A skid-steer front-end loader was being used to backfill a trench. As the loader drove over some soft material, it sunk down, then flipped forward, injuring the operator (a young worker).
Injury Type : Fractured knee
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550151
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker fell about 8 feet from an extension ladder.
Injury Type : Penetration wound to leg
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008107970340
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was holding a nail gun with his finger on its trigger. As he climbed onto a sawhorse, a nail discharged into his leg.
See a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008116740003
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker died while driving from the company office to a job site. His vehicle left the road.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008128230245
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A truck-mounted crane tipped onto its side while moving a 600-pound hot tub. The crane's outriggers had not been deployed.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Falling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157600147
Date of Incident : 2008-Jun

A faller was felling a vine maple stem about 4 inches in diameter. The stem came back at the worker, striking him and throwing him to the ground.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Delivery of building materials
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008154900062
Date of Incident : 2008-Jun

A worker was operating a three-wheel forklift on a steep driveway when he lost control of the machine.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Ready-mix concrete manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008029270230
Date of Incident : 2008-Jun

To clear clumped material from an aggregate infeed hopper, a worker sat on the top edge of the hopper with his legs inside. The conveyor belt was running, and when the material began to move, the worker and his shovel were pulled into the hopper. His legs became wedged through a hopper gate. Another worker turned off the conveyor, and a hole was cut in the hopper to release the aggregate that pinned the worker.
Injury Type : Facial injuries
Core Activity : Recreation vehicle sales and service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008150180147
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was using an air-operated "bumper jack" to jack up the rear end of a one-ton pickup at the trailer hitch. The jack slipped out from under the lifting point, kicked back, and struck the worker's face.
Injury Type : Scratches, bruising; possible concussion
Core Activity : Masonry installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950221
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was cleaning brick fascia. As he walked along the steel-frame scaffold work platform, he fell to the ground (about 7.5 feet).
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries, fractured leg
Core Activity : Distribution warehouse
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280166
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A large crate of glass sheets was being loaded into a transport trailer. The crate weighed more than 2000 pounds; it was about 7.5 feet long, 3.5 feet wide, and 1 foot thick. A lift truck placed the crate on the trailer floor, then pushed the crate in an attempt to rotate it 90 degrees and place it against a wall. Instead, the crate tipped over, pinning one worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550164
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

As a column bulkhead (8 feet high, 14 inches in diameter) was being stripped, it fell 26 storeys.
Injury Type : Severely lacerated finger
Core Activity : Concrete pouring
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155730170
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was using a mini-grinder to cut rebar in a wall form when the grinder kicked back. One finger was cut by the running blade.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Underpass construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008113830168
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A 110-ton track-mounted mobile crane was lifting a piece of equipment weighing about 8 tons. The raised boom travelled past a critical angle into the backstops, and the crane tipped backwards. The 100-foot-long lattice boom landed on a busy highway.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installing catch basins/sidewalks
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154960202
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During bulk excavating for the installation of a new catch basin, the bucket of a backhoe ruptured a 60-mm gas line. The location of the gas line had not been accurately determined before excavation work began.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155070187
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

An excavator was digging to expose sewer connections when it punctured a 1.5-inch gas line. The location of the gas line had not been accurately determined before excavating began.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Shavings and sawdust hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008058250373
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A truck driver was using the truck-mounted air hose to blow excess sawdust off his truck after dumping a load. A loader in the area unexpectedly reversed, fatally crushing the truck driver between the back of the loader and the steel box of the truck.
Injury Type : Multiple broken bones
Core Activity : Residential re-roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270253
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was accessing a steep roof from a ladder. He stepped onto some loose material and fell backwards, landing on pavement about 20 feet below. No fall protection system was in place.
Read about an incident in which another young worker died in a similar fall:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Topics/AccidentInvestigations/IR-Construction.asp?ReportID=34151
Injury Type : Scratches, bruising
Core Activity : Farm market
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008120030192
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A forklift tipped onto its side when it was backed over an embankment by an untrained young worker.
See a video about a young worker who broke his back while operating a forklift:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?reportid=34939
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Bridge and viaduct construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560214
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During transportation, the boom and rigging of a truck-mounted crane were attached to the load. At the unloading site, before the operator could deploy the outriggers, the load was pulled off the truck deck. The crane and truck flipped onto one side.
Injury Type : Blow to head
Core Activity : Materials handling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008110210133
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was deflating dunnage bags (8 feet by 4 feet by 2.5 feet). The large bags each weighed 35 pounds and were stacked five high. A bag on the fifth row became unstable and fell, striking the worker.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries, abrasions
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550156
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

An excavator was being loaded onto a tilt-deck trailer when it tipped upside down. The operator sustained minor injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550158
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The knuckle of an excavator contacted overhead 25-kV power lines.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Steel truss installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550159
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A forklift was moving a steel truss. The forklift was in motion with its forks elevated when it tipped onto its side.
Injury Type : Deep wound to finger
Core Activity : Manufacture of pallet pieces
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008108440108
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker attempted to reach under and through the roller/chain structure on a conveyer belt to dislodge a piece of lumber. One finger was caught between the roller and the chain.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Machine shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147230067
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A mobile (bull moose) crane was lifting a manufactured steel product weighing about 2 tons. During the lift, the front rigging chains were positioned outside the bowl of the hook and slipped off the hook. The product fell 3 feet to the ground, narrowly missing workers.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures of arm and leg
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157450115
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During tree cutting, a large piece of wood fell 50 feet and struck a ground worker (a young worker).
Injury Type : Strained back
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155730169
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was standing on a vertically stacked and banded bundle of scaffold frames (5 feet by 5 feet). When he cut the steel banding, the frames slid out from under him as the bundle partly collapsed onto its side. The worker rode the collapsing bundle to the ground.
Injury Type : Bruising, scrapes, pain
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008157440164
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The driver of a semi-trailer dump truck was injured when the truck flopped onto the driver's side while dumping a load of soil. The trailer was stationary on a grade of 9 to 10 percent (lateral grade, perpendicular to the trailer). The truck was stationary on a lesser grade.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Pressure washing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280156
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was refuelling a pressure-washer engine in the box of a pickup truck when some gasoline spilled. The pressure washer engine had not cooled sufficiently from prior operation, and the fuel vapours ignited. Another worker was exposed to combustion products when he responded to the fire.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Plumbing, heating, or ventilation installation or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147230068
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was trying to fix a leaky fitting on a 1.25-inch natural gas line. The fitting failed, causing a large release of natural gas.
Injury Type : Severe injury to arm
Core Activity : Fish packing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008110210128
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

As a worker reached through the top access panel of an ice flake maker, one arm got caught.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550149
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The welds on two separate horizontal members of a tower crane's mast section failed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Multi-level commercial/residential building construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270240
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

An excavator was removing ground material next to a building, to a depth of 1 to 2 feet. The excavator contacted a gas line, causing an uncontrolled release of natural gas.
Injury Type : Crush injury to finger
Core Activity : Multi-level commercial/residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270241
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was grooving a 6-inch steel pipe when one finger got caught in the rollers.
Injury Type : Bruising, abrasions, laceration
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008143950217
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A dump truck and trailer pulled into a pit to unload asphalt. The operator raised the box and started to pull the truck forward. The box tipped, causing the truck and trailer to roll onto their sides.
Injury Type : Exposure to H2S gas (4 workers)
Core Activity : Oil refining
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700130
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Excess product from a fluid catalytic cracking feed was being dumped into a 150,000-gallon slop tank. The pressure-relief valve blew, damaging the seal on the floating roof and exposing four workers, including one young worker, to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Ice arena
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008112850148
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The ammonia alarm went off at an ice arena. The fire department responded and found that an outside valve had inadvertently been opened slightly, releasing ammonia gas into the atmosphere.
Injury Type : Serious hand injury
Core Activity : Integrated forestry management
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008131490170
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was reversing a grapple skidder into a pile of logs. A short piece of log got caught in the chains on the front skidder tire and was pushed through the lower front window (polycarbonate) of the cab. The log struck one of his hands on the steering wheel.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980176
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

As a log was being yarded by a grapple yarder, it dislodged a large rock on the top side of the setting. The rock rolled about 220 metres, striking a hydraulic log loader and breaking off its right front track and idler.
Injury Type : Blood poisoning
Core Activity : Troll fishing
Location : USA
ID Number : 2008161530052
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A crew member aboard a BC fishing vessel contracted blood poisoning after several fish spines punctured his skin.
Injury Type : Amputation and laceration injuries to 3 fingers
Core Activity : Table saw operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008160530188
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was using a push stick to feed a piece of wood into a table saw without a guard. The wood kicked back, causing the worker's fingers to contact the saw blade.
See a slideshow about guarding for woodworking equipment:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34503
Injury Type : Crush injuries to fingers
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008136900129
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker grabbed the end of a 2-foot-long 2x6 trim block on a moving conveyor. His hand was pinned against a steel support beam.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to arm
Core Activity : Bridge and viaduct construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560215
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A modified work bridge collapsed during concrete placing and finishing of a bridge deck.
Injury Type : Puncture wound
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008131490167
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was connecting the track on a piece of mobile equipment. When he struck the connecting pin with a sledge hammer, a small fragment of steel sheared off the pin and struck the worker assisting him.
Injury Type : Irritation of skin, eyes, nose, mouth, upper respiratory tract (2 workers)
Core Activity : Installing cabinetry
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750228
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During renovations to a law enforcement facility, ballistic sheathing (continuous-filament fibreglass and cured polyester resin in styrene) was being cut to size with a portable circular saw equipped with a diamond blade saw. There were no effective controls to prevent the airborne release of fibrous material. Two workers were exposed to fragments of fibreglass and the binding used in the sheathing.
Injury Type : Crush injury to finger
Core Activity : Utility maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008111970194
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker pulled on a limit switch on the boom of a rubber-tired crane. The boom section moved, and the worker was unable to withdraw his hand quickly enough to avoid one finger being crushed.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Masonry
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008160850143
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker fell while carrying a bucket of mortar down a 14-foot ladder.
Injury Type : Bruising and soreness to most of body
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156160203
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

An unloaded logging truck was travelling on a forest road. When the driver tried to avoid hitting a deer, the truck caught the fill-slope road edge, then flipped off the road and landed on its side.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008107970260
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was on a ladder, painting trim outside a house. The worker fell to a concrete patio about 16 feet below.
Injury Type : Bruises to upper body
Core Activity : Log home construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008131490176
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was standing on floor joists on the first level of a log home under construction. As he guided a log post that was being landed on that level, he lost his balance and fell to grade (about 9 feet, 8 inches).
Injury Type : Crushed leg
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008157620162
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

During hoe forwarding, the top of an 81-foot-high fir penetrated the guarding of the hoe, injuring the operator's leg.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Land clearing site services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008113820221
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was falling trees to clear an area in front of a viewing platform. As he was falling a large alder (85 feet tall, 16 inches in diameter) that was leaning about 20 degrees downhill, the tree "barberchaired" (split vertically) to a height of 18 feet. The butt of the tree struck the worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete placing and finishing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008064400009
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The boom-side outriggers of a 50-metre concrete pump truck slipped off the ground support pads. They sank in soft clay soil, causing the pump truck to tip onto its side.
Injury Type : Hip injury
Core Activity : Freight delivery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008117640312
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A delivery truck driver was delivering a 400-pound refrigerator to a house. As he manoeuvred the refrigerator up the two steps at the entrance, he slipped. The fridge landed on his hip, trapping him between the stairs and the delivery trolley.
Injury Type : Minor injuries
Core Activity : Building materials delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157410178
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A mobile crane truck tipped over as it placed a load of lumber in a homeowner's backyard. The crane operator was pinned between the truck and a fence that was knocked down during the incident.
Injury Type : Fractures, lacerations
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008114050120
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A loaded log transporter went out of control while travelling on a paved secondary road.
Injury Type : Facial lacerations
Core Activity : Storm sewer installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560204
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was injured when the gas-powered cutoff saw he was operating kicked back. The diamond-tooth saw blade (14 inches in diameter) caught his face. The worker was wearing safety glasses, and the guard was in place on the saw.
Injury Type : Amputated finger
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008156730372
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was using a circular saw to cut shims when one finger contacted the blade.
Injury Type : Lacerations, contusions
Core Activity : Building supplies delivery
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240155
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker was unloading wood panels from inside a delivery van. An upright stack of eight 4x8 panels of fibreboard fell over, pinning the worker to the floor of the van.
See a hazard alert about a worker who was fatally crushed while unloading a stack of fencing panels:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34722
Injury Type : Bruising, abrasions
Core Activity : Concrete pouring
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980159
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

As concrete was being placed for a suspended concrete roof slab (8 inches thick), part of the shoring collapsed. A worker was injured, and the concrete rebar mat and formwork fell 20 feet to the basement level.
Injury Type : Head and possible spinal injuries
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147230059
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

To gain access to a locked office, a worker climbed a ladder to the area above ceiling tiles. The worker fell through the ceiling tiles to the office floor (about 10 feet).
Injury Type : Lacerated finger
Core Activity : Residential garbage collection
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008155270201
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

As a worker grabbed a bag of garbage out of a garbage can, he was cut by a sharp object. The worker was reportedly not wearing protective gloves.
Injury Type : Second-degree burns
Core Activity : Paving services or asphalt manufacture
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008161980266
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

An articulating crane truck was installing a large construction notice sign beside the road. The crane's boom contacted a 14.4-kV power line overhead.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Residential wood-frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560198
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A 35-ton mobile truck crane tipped over during a lift. The crane boom crashed through both the wood-frame building under construction and the roof of the car wash next door. The load (a prefabricated bachelor suite, complete with floor, walls, windows, and patio door) was reduced to a pile of rubble when it landed in the parking lot between the two buildings.
Injury Type : Broken bones, internal injuries
Core Activity : Masonry construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560195
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker fell 18 feet when he stepped on an unsupported scaffold plank. He had just adjusted the plank in preparation for raising a mast-climbing work platform past the braces anchoring the scaffold to the face of the building.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Wood preserving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157600131
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker planted a peevee near the end of a 75-foot-long log pole that was laid across two skid logs in order to rotate it. A second worker was ready to block the pole to prevent it from rolling too far. The first worker pulled on the peevee handle. The peevee came loose and the worker fell backwards.
Injury Type : Scrapes, possible fractures
Core Activity : Warehouse
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008152480158
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Two workers were trying to remove a 4x8 sheet of fibreboard from a load of about 20 sheets. The sheets were stacked upright against the warehouse wall when 15 of the sheets fell over, striking one of the workers.
Injury Type : Deep leg laceration
Core Activity : Warehouse
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280145
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A young worker was doing a pre-shift inspection of an electric stand-up counterbalanced lift truck. He was checking the dead-man brake control when the lift truck collided with a steel staircase. The brake control was not functioning properly.
Injury Type : Amputated finger
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008128220103
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

A worker's hand was caught in a packaging machine.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008158920139
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The driver of an off-highway logging truck was attempting to remove the trailer reach pin. A hydraulic log loader was being used to relieve pressure on the pin. The front bunk stake was secured, pointing out over the rear of the truck. When the pin came free, the trailer reach struck the worker, causing him to fall backwards and strike his head against the bunk stake.
Injury Type : Fractured and lacerated skull, hand injury  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530094
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

The driver of a logging truck was trying to raise a trailer stake with a timber-marking hammer when a log held under tension by the stake released and struck the worker's hand. The force of the blow propelled the hammer out of the worker's hand and up towards his head.


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