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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 November - December (updated 6 May 2009)

Injury Type : Facial injuries, dislocated ankle, back pain
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850016
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was on a roof installing anchors for a fall protection system. He slipped and fell from the roof to the ground (about 20 feet), striking a hot tub on the way down.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill operations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450124
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A log truck trailer was hoisted on one bay of a trailer hoist for reloading onto a log transporter tractor. As the hoist operator walked back to the cab of his truck, the trailer fell to the ground. The winch cable had been completely unspooled from the drum so that the hoist lifted the trailer in the reverse direction. The winch drum braking system does not work in reverse spooling.
Injury Type : Back injury  
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155070015
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A young worker fell from a job-built wooden scaffold to grade (about 15 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158910249
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A large section of a roof (24 feet by 24 feet) collapsed to the ground. A 12-inch-by-12-inch wooden horizontal header beam supporting roof trusses had failed. No workers were in the immediate area when the roof collapsed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Paper recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009160310006
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Two pressure meters on the back of a boiler control panel leaked mercury. The mercury fell about 4 feet to the floor below and spread over several square feet. Visual inspection suggested that 250 to 500 millilitres of mercury leaked out.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Grocery store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008145130419
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

The roof of a grocery store partially collapsed under a heavy load of snow and water. No workers or customers were in the store at the time.
Injury Type : Crushed finger
Core Activity : Metal roof fabrication and installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157560010
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A 1,000-foot roll of sheet metal was being installed on a stand, in preparation for use in an extruding machine. The roll was suspended from a hydraulic hoist. One end of the arbour that ran through the centre of the roll was placed in the stand. A worker was pushing on the roll to align the opposite end of the arbour with the stand when the roll suddenly slipped into place. One of the worker's fingers was crushed between the arbour and the stand.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures of leg
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530006
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was on top of decked logs measuring a 55-foot pine log with a logger's measuring tape. A single log rolled about 2 feet and crushed the worker's leg.
Injury Type : Bruising to upper body
Core Activity : Sanitary landfill operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120017
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

At a landfill, a worker was cleaning out the tailgate of a garbage truck when the truck's operator closed the door, trapping the worker's upper body between the door and the tailgate.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Snow removal
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980377
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A road grader was plowing snow from a road when its blade hooked a telecommunications line. One power pole was pulled to the ground, two others were broken, and energized power lines landed within 3 metres of the grader.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to asbestos fibres
Core Activity : Motel renovations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008157580390
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Drywall that contained asbestos joint compound was removed from several motel rooms with no precautions to prevent the release of asbestos fibres. The workers who removed the drywall were not protected, nor were different workers who later entered those rooms to complete other work. All may have been exposed to asbestos fibres.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Health product wholesale
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008104270249
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A former employee returned to the workplace during a staff party and shot an employer.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil and gas processing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800101
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

At an unmanned oil and gas production operation, the heat medium at a line heater (used to heat natural gas) caught fire. The fire was confined to the heater and no injuries were reported. (The heat medium is a glycol mixture that is heated and circulated to prevent freezing of piping and valves.)
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Retail building supplies sales
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100011
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

At a building supply store, the inventory of doors was being relocated. Some doors were left leaning and not secured. Workers in the area dislodged the doors, which then tipped onto a nearby worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mobile crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008160850170
Date of Incident : 2008-Sep

A 20-ton mobile crane was moving steel piles for a pile-driving operation. A pile shifted in the sling, causing the boom to exceed its vertical angle limit. The boom stops failed (structural failure) and the boom fell back onto the winching drums.
Injury Type : Fractured facial bone
Core Activity : Steel or metal wholesale
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230001
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker slipped on ice while climbing out of a company truck in his employer's parking lot.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dry lumber storage
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970002
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A section (half) of a dry lumber shed collapsed. Several days later, as plans were being made to remove the material and debris, the remainder of the building collapsed. No workers were in the area when either failure occurred.
Injury Type : Crush injuries
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110210001
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

At a warehouse loading bay, a worker was about to enter a delivery trailer to unload products into the warehouse. At the same time, a truck driver started to reposition the trailer. The worker fell between the trailer and the docking bay. The driver did not know that a worker had fallen and continued to back up the trailer, pinning the worker.
Injury Type : Serious burn injuries
Core Activity : Building supplies delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008117080333
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

The operator of a truck-mounted crane was standing on the ground, using hard-wired pendant controls to unfold the crane's boom. The boom contacted unguarded energized high-voltage power lines overhead.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Brewery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280295
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

An automatic elevating device (guided freight hoist) was elevating a load from ground level to the second level. The hoist cable failed, and the loaded platform fell to ground level. The hoist's capacity was 3,000 pounds and the load weighed about 1,800 pounds. The hoist was not registered with the BC Safety Authority.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450411
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

When the boom support brake on a conventional crawler crane failed to hold, the boom contacted a building, and the 4,500-pound load slowly fell to grade. Inspection of the brake systems indicated that they may have been frozen, due to unusually cold temperatures.
Injury Type : Bruised leg
Core Activity : Cold storage plant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008139860297
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

As a worker was loading packages of frozen food into a tractor trailer, he was struck by a forklift entering the trailer.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Structural metal product fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163710177
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A mini-crane became unstable and tipped over while lifting a handrail into place. Both the crane's operator and the worker steadying the load were able to jump out of the way.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Building materials delivery
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008161980469
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A 24-ton stiff boom crane truck was set up at a multi-unit residential complex under construction. All outriggers had been deployed, including the front jack. The right front outrigger had been set on a snowbank with the float at a 45-degree angle and about 1 foot off grade. The crane was hoisting a bundle of trusses to the second storey. As the load swung over the right side, the right front outrigger slid off the snowbank and the front of the crane truck slid on the ice. The right front side of the truck dropped about 1 foot. The operator quickly lowered the load, damaging a wood-framed wall in the process.
Injury Type : Electrical injuries to hand
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163710176
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker contacted an energized, unguarded 347-volt electrical wire. The electrical equipment had not been completely disconnected and locked out before work began.
Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008117080330
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker contacted an energized high-voltage conductor in the main electrical room.
Injury Type : Minor head injury, stiff neck
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008136900197
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was tightening the front binder of the middle bunk section of a logging truck (hayrack). A 16-foot-long log (6 inches in diameter) pivoted out of the front stake and struck the worker's hard hat.
Injury Type : Facial injuries
Core Activity : Exterior brick veneer application
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161770591
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was dismantling a work platform that was set up on top of an 8-foot-high scaffold. The worker fell to the ground (16 feet).
Injury Type : Crush injuries to foot
Core Activity : Collection of recycling materials
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008145130408
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker slipped on snow and fell by the side of a recycling truck. As the truck pulled away, it ran over his foot.
Injury Type : Facial injuries
Core Activity : Security services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008112840115
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Due to suspicious activities, a security booth with a security guard had been set up outside a public washroom. A person tried to enter the washroom but was asked to wait because it was fully occupied. The person swung a crescent wrench against the security booth. When the security guard cracked the door open to see what had happened, the person pulled open the door and struck the security guard with the wrench. A second security guard detained the person until the police arrived.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra (1 worker)
Core Activity : Ski hill operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700243
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A structural failure caused a gondola tower to collapse.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Corrugated cardboard manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008093690287
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A fire destroyed inventory and damaged equipment as well as the building's structure. All workers were safely evacuated. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
Injury Type : Fractured bone, facial laceration
Core Activity : Power line maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560351
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was removing a tree that had fallen over power and telecommunications lines and onto the road. The tree had severed the primary power lines and came to rest on the telecommunications cable, which included a 5/16-inch carrier cable. The lines were stretched so tautly that one pole on each side was leaning towards the fallen tree. The worker started to cut the tree on the bank side of the wires but stopped because the wires were stretched towards the road as well as down. To avoid being in the bight (danger zone) of the wires when he completed his cut, he decided to cut on the road side of the wires. As the cut was completed, the wires sprang free. They struck the worker and knocked him 15 feet into the air.
Injury Type : Tingling in hands
Core Activity : Garbage collection
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008154890098
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

As a container was loaded onto a garbage truck, part of the truck severed an energized overhead power line (240 volts).
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Pipeline testing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008153370276
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Two workers had just completed a hydrostatic test (to 2150 psi) on two 16-inch temporary pig traps (used in cleaning pipelines). One of the workers (a young worker) closed a ball valve to isolate the piping being tested from the recording device and the pressure gauge. The worker then bled off the pressure in the hydrostatic testing connection and in the lines to the recording equipment and gauge. The lines to the recording equipment and gauge were removed, and the worker then began to remove the testing connection from the valve using a pipe wrench. But instead of the testing connection unthreading from the valve, the valve unthreaded from the pipe nipple that connected the valve and connections to the pig traps (which were still pressurized to 2150 psi). The pressure drove the test piping and valve up, and they struck the worker. The injured worker was taken to hospital but died several days later.
Injury Type : Concussion, multiple broken bones and lacerations (1 worker); broken arm, bruising (1 worker)
Core Activity : Bricklaying
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980363
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Three workers were unloading bricks from a pallet that had been lifted to scaffolding on the third floor of the building. The workers were stacking the bricks on the scaffold walk boards when the scaffold collapsed. One worker fell 31 feet (the ground), and another fell 10 feet (to the third floor). The third worker grabbed rebar on the wall and climbed down to the third floor.
Injury Type : Presumed drowned (1 worker); hypothermia (1 worker)
Core Activity : Shellfish transport
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008157490285
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

When a 35-foot vessel capsized and sank, two workers entered the water. The next day, one was rescued from a remote beach; the second worker remains missing.
Injury Type : Bruising, laceration
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980369
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A loaded logging truck overturned while negotiating a switchback on a forest service road.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise window installation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008116120295
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

During construction of a highrise building, a worker was using a concrete hammer drill to install angle track 2 inches from the edge of the 8th floor. He was standing bent over the drill when the drill bit broke and he fell over the edge. The worker fell about 2 floors before his lifeline became taut and the energy absorber deployed. The worker's fall was arrested 18 inches below the 5th floor, from which he was promptly rescued and found to be uninjured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550270
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A rubber-tired excavator contacted an overhead telecommunications line, separating it from the utility pole.
Injury Type : Serious foot injuries
Core Activity : Recreational facility
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750635
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

As a worker opened a sauna door to check on a patron, the door's heavy glass window fell out and landed on the worker's foot.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Well fracturing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008154930278
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Well control equipment failed, resulting in the loss of pressure and flow control on a natural gas well.
Injury Type : Facial injuries (1 worker); chest injury (1 worker); temporary loss of consciousness (1 worker)
Core Activity : Industrial/commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480267
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Workers were building a 2x4 framed section of hoarding, which was covered with a tarp. A strong gust of wind picked up the tarped section, which struck one worker in the face. Then the wind picked up a sheet of half-inch plywood, which struck the back of a second worker's head. A third worker jumped out of the way of the plywood and was injured by landing on an interior parapet wall.
Injury Type : Undetermined crush injuries
Core Activity : Wooden component manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480265
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A banded load of 14-foot-long 2x10s was put on a tilt hoist feed line. When a worker cut the banding, part of the load of lumber came down and crushed the worker against another load of lumber.
Injury Type : Facial injuries
Core Activity : Drilling rig repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008158820289
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was straightening a bend in a drilling rig's I-beam (6 by 16 inches) using a 25-ton hydraulic jack and tubular steel (square) spacers. The jack and spacers slipped, and the jack struck the worker in the face.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480263
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

As an excavator was digging to extend a storm sewer line, its bucket hit a buried 25-kV conductor.
Injury Type : Multiple broken bones
Core Activity : Guiding trucks at construction site
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158880538
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A traffic control person stopped a vehicle, then turned to make a visual check of another traffic control person. The stopped vehicle moved forward and struck the first traffic control person.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Seismic slashing and trail clearing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008154930275
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was thrown from the snowmobile he was operating.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157450211
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was opening the door of a railcar. The door opened faster than expected and the worker fell about 4.5 feet.
Injury Type : Fractured leg, laceration
Core Activity : Fish processing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008139860271
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A forklift was moving frozen fish product on a pallet. A packet weighing about 200 pounds (90 kilograms) fell off the pallet and struck a young worker.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Cleaning glass awning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008104270240
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was found lying on a sidewalk about 17 feet below a glass awning. Earlier, the worker had been seen standing on the awning, cleaning the glass.
Injury Type : Concussion, head laceration, abrasions
Core Activity : Retail liquor sales
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750630
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was in a locked liquor store counting the previous day's receipts when a robber dropped a 20-pound rock onto him through a hatch in the attic. The robber then jumped through the same hatch onto the worker. The robber next sprayed the worker with a fire extinguisher. After a struggle, the worker got out of the office into the store but had no keys to get out (he did not think about the fire escape door). He re-entered the office to try to get the keys, and the robber attacked him again, this time with a 3-foot-long 2x2. The robber then exited through a cooler and out the fire door. The robber had brought all the weapons (rock, extinguisher, stick) to the scene.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450401
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

An articulating rock truck was backing up a ramp to deliver a load. It drove off the edge and rolled onto its side. The drop to grade was less than 5 feet, and the operator was not injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450395
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

As a rock drill was being moved from one end of a highway project to the opposite end, its boom snagged a 25-kV overhead power line. The line was dragged 42 feet before it broke and fell to the ground. The worker in the cab of the rock drill stayed there until the power company attended the scene and made it safe for him to exit.
Injury Type : Amputation of fingertip
Core Activity : Waterproofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163640103
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker's finger contacted the blade of the cordless circular saw he was operating.
Injury Type : Crush injuries
Core Activity : Lift truck operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280274
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Before daylight, a worker was removing dunnage blocks from 10-foot-long packages of lumber, then rebanding the lumber. A lift truck backed into the packages and pinned the worker between two packages. The lift truck did not have lights to adequately illuminate the direction of travel.
Injury Type : Fractured and bruised fingers
Core Activity : Galvanizing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147280272
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

Two workers were using two hoists and chain slings to handle a load of galvanized steel guardrails weighing 3091 kilograms. One of the workers (a young worker) was manipulating a sling by hand when the load shifted, catching his hand between the sling and the load.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Bridge construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560328
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

During the placement of concrete, a 30-foot section of overhanging bridge deck formwork collapsed.
Injury Type : Injuries to foot
Core Activity : Planing mill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008126770196
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A young worker followed written safe work procedures to clear a jam in a waste conveyor. He then exited the conveyor in a way that was not safe, through an area where a sawdust conveyor was in operation. As the worker stepped over the sawdust conveyor, the carrier chain caught his foot and pulled it around the head spool. A co-worker immediately turned off the power to the carrier chain and extricated the injured worker.
Injury Type : Fractured legs
Core Activity : Metal fabrication and welding
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008140710780
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was trying to turn over a fabricated steel catwalk (3 feet by 40 feet) using a lift truck and a come-along winch. The catwalk rotated toward the worker, crushing his legs against the forks of the lift truck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450397
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

As a log transporter was turning a corner on a public highway, its front stake and bunk assembly failed and the transporter lost its full-length load. A welder had replaced the cable-secured log stakes with fixed stakes welded with a gusset in each corner at the stake/bunk intersect. The modifications were completed without drawings or engineering. The rear bunk modifications also showed signs of failure.
Injury Type : Cuts, strains, bruises
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157570305
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A grounds worker was on a tripod-style ladder trimming a tree. A branch swung downward and struck the ladder's support leg. The ladder tipped and the worker fell about 7 feet.
Injury Type : Puncture wound to hand
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154970553
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A young worker was using a pneumatic nailer to apply asphalt shingles when a 1.25-inch nail was discharged into his hand.
See a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Removal of sidewalk
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158880524
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A backhoe was removing a municipal sidewalk that crossed a residential driveway when the bucket's teeth caught a gas line. The line separated from a coupling and gas leaked out.
Injury Type : Fractured arm, abrasions, bruising
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700238
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker was throwing debris off a 4th-floor balcony when he lost his balance and fell into the garbage bin below. No guardrails were in place.
Injury Type : Injuries to head and chest
Core Activity : New house construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154960307
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A 29-foot-long structural beam was being installed 8 feet, 3 inches above the floor. The beam fell towards a worker standing on a job-built ladder, and the worker landed on the floor beneath the beam.
Injury Type : Lacerated fingers
Core Activity : Fibreglass manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008117930153
Date of Incident : 2008-Dec

A worker's fingers contacted the blade of a chop saw.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008153370247
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A crew was drilling a horizontal section of a natural gas well when they noticed an influx of natural gas out of the rock formation into the well bore (a gas kick). They stopped drilling and circulated the well, while weighting up (increasing the density of) the invert drilling mud (hydrocarbon-based drilling fluid) to stop the gas from entering the well bore. While circulating the well, 20 cubic metres of invert fluid was lost into the rock formation. Once control of the well had been regained, the well was flowed so that some of the lost invert fluid could be recovered. However, gas came to surface, causing the invert drilling fluid to spray out of the mud tank and onto the drilling rig. At the same time, a leak was discovered in the piping between the manifold shack and the de-gasser. The well was shut in using the hydraulic control (HCR) valve off the blow-out preventer so the leak could be repaired and pressure readings could be taken. The pressure in the well eventually exceeded the maximum allowable casing pressure, so the well was opened to flare. When the HCR valve was opened to allow the well to flow directly to flare, the piping between the blow-out preventer and the choke failed, causing an explosion. The explosion ignited the invert mud that had sprayed onto the rig, as well as the invert still in the mud tanks. The crew again shut in the well, this time using the pipe rams of the blow-out preventer. They attempted to extinguish the fire but the heat from the burning invert caused the blow-out preventer to fail. Control of the well was lost and the drilling rig was destroyed in the subsequent well blow-out and fire. No workers were injured.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Well drilling work
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008154930279
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

While managing a well difficulty, well pressure overcame control measures, resulting in drilling pipe being shot out of the well into the derrick and well control being lost.
Injury Type : Head injuries, multiple fractures
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008152480288
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was on an extension ladder installing soffits when he fell to the ground (about 15 feet).
Injury Type : Broken bones, laceration
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560320
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A dump truck driver was accessing a tool box below the dump box while an excavator loaded the truck. As the excavator was being repositioned, it ran over the truck driver's foot.
Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Vehicle recovery
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008158820291
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Two workers were loading a stranded vehicle when the hook slipped and the cable whipped. As one worker reacted, he slipped on the ice, struck his head, and lost consciousness.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Electric utilities work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270404
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was descending a 14-foot fixed ladder into a sump. He lost his footing and fell to the sump floor (about 7 feet), where he struck a pump footing.
Injury Type : Inhalation of chlorine gas
Core Activity : Cheese manufacturing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008147100158
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was using cheese-making equipment as it was being cleaned. The stages of cleaning included several water rinses as well as a chlorinated caustic wash and an acid wash. When the acid wash cycle began, the worker noticed a strong chlorine odour and experienced breathing difficulties. The worker was able to get out of the area, and the building was evacuated.
Injury Type : Extensive bruising
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008163270107
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

In an incident of road rage, one truck driver was physically assaulted by another.
Injury Type : Broken pelvis, cracked vertebra, sprain, laceration
Core Activity : Skylight installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750596
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was installing skylights on a frosty roof with a pitch of 6/12. He was 15 feet from the edge of the roof when he lost his footing, slid down the roof, and fell 20 feet to grade. The landing area contained a concrete ledge, a pile of lumber, and scaffolding. The worker missed all those materials and landed on hard-packed dirt. No fall protection system was in place.
See a hazard alert about a similar incident in which a worker fell off a frosty roof:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/posters.asp?reportID=35034
Injury Type : Leg abrasions
Core Activity : Structural formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163640095
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Two workers were trying to free a flytable that had become stuck on reinforcing steel at the edge of a building. The table sprang free unexpectedly, striking one worker on the leg and dragging the other worker off the 28th floor. His fall was arrested by his personal fall protection system.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis
Core Activity : Metal roofing installation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008140710754
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was installing roofing metal when he fell off the roof from a height of about 20 feet. No fall protection system was being used.
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158750227
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was injured while doing maintenance on equipment in use for normal production.
Injury Type : Serious injuries to 3 fingers
Core Activity : Bridge construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157560315
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker's gloved hand was snagged by a winch cable and pulled into a sheave pulley.
Injury Type : Serious lacerations
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008158750236
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

As a worker was manually unloading cartons from a container, he was struck by the clamp attachment of a lift truck.
Injury Type : Serious injury to finger
Core Activity : Bricklaying
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270383
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A young worker was steadying a wheelbarrow as a skid-steer front-end loader placed gravel in it. The wheelbarrow collapsed to the ground, crushing the worker's hand.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Water line installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270402
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

An excavator was digging a trench for a water line when it struck a 14.4-kV conductor about 3 feet below the surface. The location of underground utilities had not been accurately determined before digging began.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Electrical renovations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240309
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

As a worker was removing feeder wires from a control panel, two energized 600-volt conductors made contact. An arc flash occurred and the circuit breakers tripped, but the worker was not injured. The worker had not confirmed lockout with a test meter before starting work on the circuit.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Rebar installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161950340
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Two workers were installing rebar (15 mm by 1 metre) into a suspended slab on the 5th floor. The rebar extended beyond a perimeter guardrail and broke an energized 12-kV overhead power line. The line fell to the ground, causing a power outage.
Injury Type : Abrasions, lacerations, fractures
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008158180215
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A traffic control person was struck by a transport vehicle and dragged about 75 metres.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, internal injuries, strains
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008160530352
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A construction worker climbed onto a lift of plywood that a crane was hoisting to a second-level window opening. The worker broke the metal band securing the load, the load shifted, and the worker fell to the ground (about 15 feet).
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Public school
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240288
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Entering a school in the morning, staff smelled gas. The building was immediately evacuated and the fire department was called. As the fire department was investigating, an explosion occurred in the heating system. There were no injuries.
Injury Type : Head and back injuries
Core Activity : Paint booth disassembly
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008120030291
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

An automotive paint booth was being dismantled. A worker standing on the booth's unsecured roof panel fell just over 9 feet to the concrete floor below.
Injury Type : Arm contusion
Core Activity : Tree pruning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008139860250
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was in the bucket of a bucket truck, trimming trees. A second worker was assisting by standing on top of the truck (below the bucket) and pulling back branches. The worker doing the trimming contacted a secondary power line (120/240 v). The worker on the truck was sent backwards and hit the bottom of the lift turret.
Injury Type : Serious foot injuries
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750578
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A young worker was installing an anchor 16 feet from the edge of a roof with a pitch of 4/12. There was frost on the 2x6 tongue-and-groove decking. The worker lost his footing and slid down the roof on his belly, then fell to the pavement 16 feet below. The worker was wearing a harness but was not tied off.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Logging road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008152480271
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A crawler tractor struck an undetonated blasting cap and partial stick of dynamite, causing them to explode. Fortunately, no workers were injured and no equipment was damaged. Blasting had been done on the site earlier the same day.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Scuba diving instruction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700224
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A dive instructor surfaced in distress after a 100-foot, advanced-level dive.
Injury Type : Serious wounds
Core Activity : Cedar block salvage
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008158930259
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A forestry worker was mauled by a grizzly bear. The worker was in an area where a helicopter was moving cedar blocks.
Injury Type : Facial laceration
Core Activity : Mill cleanup
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154970539
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was trimming cedar block ends with a gas-powered chainsaw. The chainsaw kicked back and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008111110533
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A bundle lift malfunctioned, causing four load line cables to fail. The lift, weighing 52,000 pounds, slid down its tracks into 4 metres of water. No workers were injured.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to fingertip
Core Activity : Structural metal fabrication
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008116120276
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was using an electromagnetic lifting device attached to an overhead crane to reposition a large steel plate (weighing about 300 pounds) inside a machining centre. The worker held the crane pendant in one hand and was using his other hand to guide the steel plate when the plate suddenly fell to the work surface (about 1 foot). The electromagnetic lifting device had been placed partially over a hole in the plate.
Injury Type : Widespread contusions, bruising
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008137160154
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

An empty off-highway log transporter failed to negotiate a corner on a logging road. It rolled 125 feet down a steep embankment.
Injury Type : Penetrating wound to leg
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008161290363
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

During framing, a worker slipped on blast rock around a new concrete foundation. As the worker fell backwards, his boot struck the foundation and the nail gun he was holding fired a 2.25-inch nail into his leg. The nail gun was set on the safest setting, sequential trip.
See a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835
Injury Type : Amputation of 2 fingers
Core Activity : Paving stone manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008137102677
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was injured while cleaning a mixing machine that was shut off. The machine was inadvertently started when another worker replaced an emergency stop button on the main electrical operations panel. The mixing machine was interlinked with other equipment that was not correctly locked out.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008070890110
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A faller was climbing a ponderosa pine to thin the canopy. While repositioning himself to place his lanyard around the trunk, he grabbed hold of a branch. The branch broke and the worker fell to the ground (about 14 feet), shearing off other branches in the fall.
Injury Type : Bullet wounds (1 worker, 1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Gas station with convenience store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008156580343
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A gas station was robbed at gunpoint. A young worker and one non-worker were shot.
Injury Type : Inhalation and skin exposure to an unidentified hazardous substance (2 workers)
Core Activity : Garbage and recycling removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008130260153
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Two workers were placing residential waste material into a rear-loading garbage truck when they experienced symptoms of exposure to a hazardous substance (dizziness, difficulty breathing, numbness of the tongue, blurred vision, nausea, vomiting). A hazardous materials crew decontaminated the workers before they were taken away by ambulance.
Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Recycling pickup
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157530312
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was riding on the right-hand side step of a recycling truck. When the vehicle made a left turn, the worker was thrown from the truck to the pavement.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2008136970237
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was standing on a job-built wooden scaffold, preparing to sheathe the roof of a house under construction. A lift of plywood was suspended from the hook of a mobile crane adjacent to the scaffold. The worker cut one of two metal bands restraining the plywood. When the band released, the load became unstable. The worker fell to the ground (about 9.5 feet) and the plywood landed on top of him.
Injury Type : Fatal (7 workers); undetermined injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Industrial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008113820295
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

An aircraft carrying seven workers and the pilot crashed.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to fingers
Core Activity : Metal product fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480238
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was braking small strips of metal with a 150-ton hydraulic brake press when his hands inadvertently contacted the point of operation. The point of operation was not safeguarded to prevent injury.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008157270368
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

After two workers had a verbal disagreement, one left the site. When the worker returned, a second confrontation occurred. One of the workers produced a handgun and fired near the other worker's feet and into the air. The worker then left the site and was arrested shortly after.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008157440234
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A loaded logging truck backed into the front of a logging truck parked behind it. Two logs went through the windshield of the parked truck, pushing through to the bulkhead behind the cab. The driver of the damaged truck was not in the cab at the time.
Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Exterior finishing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154970515
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A young worker on a third-storey scaffold lost his balance. He fell 5 feet through a window opening into the building, striking his head on the concrete floor. The scaffold was not adequately guarded, and no other fall protection system was being used.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Retail store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154970527
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Workers at a retail store spotted three red tubes strapped to the handle of a door beside the main entrance. Police in a bomb squad used a robot-like tool to remove the device. Examination revealed it was a fake.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Drywalling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008154960296
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was on a ladder, placing drywall compound in a skylight opening. The ladder was set on a paper barrier to protect the floor. The ladder slipped on the paper, and the worker fell 9 feet.
Injury Type : Neck and shoulder injuries
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008158920262
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A faller was attempting to fall a fir tree uphill when he was struck by a balsam snag. The fir was 15 inches in diameter. The snag was 7 inches in diameter and 47 feet tall.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Setting up drilling rig
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2008124490147
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Workers were setting up a drilling rig on a new location. The mast of the rig was being positioned using two 40-ton picker trucks (crane trucks) in conjunction with two oilfield bed trucks (large trucks equipped with an A-frame and winch for hoisting). The bottom section of the mast had been hoisted about 6 feet into the air to attach it to the drilling rig's A-frame legs when the turret bolts on the crane of one of the picker trucks failed. The load dropped, and the crane's boom fell and struck the cab of the second crane. The operator's house and counterweights were damaged, but the workers in position to insert the A-leg pins were unhurt.
Injury Type : Exposure to anhydrous ammonia (3 workers)
Core Activity : Food processing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008108440168
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

An evaporator cooling unit failed in the freezer of a food processing plant, causing the release of anhydrous ammonia gas. Sixty workers were evacuated from the plant and three of them (including one young worker) experienced respiratory distress.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Truck and trailer repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008113830248
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

One worker was under a semi-trailer, viewing an area needing repair. Another worker, not realizing the first worker was underneath the trailer, moved the vehicle ahead 15 feet.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Auto service or repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008161290355
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was replacing the transmission in a truck with a 1.5-ton capacity. The front end of the truck was supported by two 6-ton jack stands, and the passenger side was jacked up to increase the clearance by 2 inches. As the transmission was slid under the truck, both jack stands failed. The worker was not injured. The GVW of the truck was reportedly 7.25 tons with a total front-loaded axle weight of 3 tons.
See a hazard alert about the use of blocking to prevent injuries from elevated equipment:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35166
Injury Type : Deep laceration to hand
Core Activity : Educational institution
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480232
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Sawdust had built up beneath a table saw. A worker turned off the saw, then reached under to clear the debris. The worker's hand contacted the saw blade, which had not come to a complete stop.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008117080304
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A tower crane was lifting a load when the chain separated from the hook. The load dropped about 2 feet (onto the street). Part of the hook that is attached to the chain sling had broken.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete building construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450368
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A tower crane was extracting a fence post embedded in concrete when it was shock-loaded. The tip of the boom was reported to have deflected excessively during the process.
Injury Type : Fractures, lacerations
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480229
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A young worker was rolling out and stapling tar paper on a wet roof with a slope of 11:12. He fell to the ground (27 feet). No fall protection system was in place.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise exterior restoration
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700212
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A balcony door was being unloaded from a material hoist. It fell 17 floors to grade.
Injury Type : Undetermined back injuries
Core Activity : Wholesale delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008145130379
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A delivery worker slipped and fell down a set of 11 concrete stairs. The buildup of a greasy substance on the stairs made them very slippery.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Retail pharmacy
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163270097
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A robber went to the pharmacy at the back of a store and handed a worker a note demanding two different prescription drugs. The robber claimed to have a gun and warned of dire consequences if the demand was not met. The pharmacy worker handed over the drugs, and neither this worker nor the other three in the store were harmed.
Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand
Core Activity : Commercial printing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008110750534
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was doing maintenance on a commercial printing machine when one hand got caught between the 4-foot-long rollers.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Structural concrete product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700210
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker's leg was caught between two hinged sections of a metal sign frame.
Injury Type : Exposure to a hazardous substance or atmosphere
Core Activity : Restoration work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008125290362
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A broken water main caused mud, sand, and water to breach and lift part of the concrete foundation of a 2-storey residential complex. During restoration activities, a worker went into the crawl space to scoop mud into garbage bags so it could be removed. As the worker exited the crawl space into the home above and then headed outside, he experienced headache, dizziness, disorientation, and difficulty breathing. No hazard assessment had been conducted for the confined space.
Injury Type : Minor injuries (non-worker)
Core Activity : Post-secondary education
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008145130375
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

As a piece of theatre-style scenery was being rigged to the roof support system, it collapsed and fell to the stage (30 feet). The scenery weighed about 250 pounds.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Stucco work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008122700211
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker slipped and fell about 24 feet (to grade) from a scaffold work platform.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008161480239
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

An excavator was working around a buried natural gas line when it contacted a 2-inch stub attached to the main gas line.
Injury Type : Cuts, scrapes, bruises  
Core Activity : Harvesting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530097
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A feller buncher was working on a slope of 40 percent. The operator reached uphill to pull a felled bunch of trees closer to a skid trail below the machine. After the logs were released from the buncher arms, the buncher became unstable and rolled over backwards.
See a slide show about a skidder that became unstable and rolled 400 feet downslope:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=35280
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008095610297
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

Two young men brandishing a knife and a small axe, and apparently under the influence of drugs, entered a gas bar/convenience store. They ordered the worker to move away from the till, took the cash, and left.
Injury Type : Back pain
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113920009
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

A worker was struck in the back by a slab of dirt that broke away from the wall of an excavation. As the worker was clearing away that dirt, another slab of dirt broke away and struck him.
Injury Type : Contusions and muscle strains
Core Activity : Excavation to repair drain pipe
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108440207
Date of Incident : 2008-Nov

To access a basement drain pipe, workers hand dug an 8-foot-deep excavation (30 inches wide) under a sundeck. A large boulder (3 feet by 3 feet) was embedded in one side wall of the excavation. One worker was in the trench when that wall collapsed at chest height.


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