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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 incident summaries from other dates

2009 July - September

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

A worker was transporting a bin of fruit on the rear fork attachment of a tractor when the tractor slid down an embankment and rolled over.
See a hazard alert about this incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/posters.asp?reportID=35774

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950274
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was being moved. As the bucket was placed down so the excavator could spin, a 2-inch gas line was severed. Almost 400 customers were without service as a result.

Injury Type : Back and neck strain
Core Activity : Excavation for blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113920132
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As an excavator lifted blasting mats into place, it became unstable and rolled onto its boom side. The operator was wearing the provided seat belt and sustained only minor injuries.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Clearing log-harvesting debris
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161740224
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was piling log-harvesting debris on gently sloped ground. The excavator was moving between two piles when it travelled over a dip in the ground and tipped over. The operator, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured.
View a slide show about another excavator rollover:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=34159

Injury Type : Contact with hazardous substance (propionic acid)
Core Activity : Delivering farm products
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163210285
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was transporting propionic acid (a feed supplement) when he drove off the road. The acid drenched the worker and spilled into a water-filled ravine.

Injury Type : Multiple leg fractures
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600240
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A 24-foot-long "pusher bar" lift truck attachment was being used to push lumber packages into a shipping container. The pusher bar struck a worker.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Gutter repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100809
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on a ladder, installing cladding on fascia board on the gable end of a house. The ladder dislodged and the worker fell about 14 feet.

Injury Type : Multiple broken bones and lacerations
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710258
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While controlling traffic, a young worker was struck by a vehicle and thrown about 100 feet.
See a hazard alert about the risks of working in traffic control zones:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35319

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Wire cable manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410215
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A 600-ton press was operating when its die assembly was ejected, fatally injuring a worker.

Injury Type : Lacerations to both legs
Core Activity : Fence installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750593
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

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

Injury Type : Fractures and internal injuries
Core Activity : Farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163270196
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was attempting to bypass-start a tractor from the ground. The tractor engaged in gear and its rear wheels ran over the worker.
Read a hazard alert about an accident in which a worker died while bypass-starting mobile equipment:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=33152

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas well servicing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009165800095
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A mobile crane was moving a coiled tubing injector head (a device used to feed continuous piping into and out of a well) from the well head onto the transportation cradle. The load unexpectedly dropped 3 feet and became embedded in the rig matting (wooden mats supporting the drill rig).

Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480218
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker's hand contacted the point of operation on a line collator.

Injury Type : Laceration (1 worker); abrasions, contusions (2 workers)
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137290201
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Three workers were blown down by wind generated by jet engines on the tarmac next to a construction site.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Gravel pit
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480271
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A bulldozer backed into an empty settling pond (no water in the pond) off a 9-foot drop. The operator, who was not wearing a seat belt, was ejected from the bulldozer and sustained fatal injuries.

Injury Type : Serious hand injuries
Core Activity : Wooden product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113210119
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was cutting 1x2 wood pieces on a table saw. Finished pieces accumulated behind the saw. The worker shut off the saw and moved to the side to pick up the finished pieces, stumbled, and contacted the still-rotating saw blade with one hand.
View a slide show about housekeeping techniques to prevent slips, trips, and injuries in woodworking shops:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34907

Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Vegetable farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009125400186
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As a worker cleared a jam on a running produce sorting conveyor, his arm contacted the belt and roller.

Injury Type : Bruised back
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270256
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on an unsecured ladder, pushing on a trim board to set it in place, when the ladder slid out from under him. The worker fell about 12 feet to grade.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Orchard
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161970165
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A farm tractor rolled over, fatally injuring the operator.

Injury Type : Smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850207
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A propane-powered recreation vehicle caught fire while refuelling. The ignition source was later found to be the pilot light of the propane refrigerator. A young worker who attempted to extinguish the fire sustained smoke inhalation.

Injury Type : Minor electric shock
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163640197
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As an electrician climbed a 6-foot stepladder to test for electrical current in a junction box, the back of his hand brushed wires from a 340-volt lighting circuit.

Injury Type : Lacerated finger
Core Activity : Supermarket
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230272
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was operating a meat slicer when one finger contacted the moving blade.

Injury Type : Shortness of breath
Core Activity : Traffic control
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770250
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A traffic control person experienced shortness of breath shortly after a rock fell from an excavator bucket, striking and rupturing an exposed 2-inch gas line.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230271
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was riding on the tailgate of a moving pickup truck when he fell off and struck his head on the pavement.

Injury Type : Acid burns (non-worker)
Core Activity : Public school district
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102931
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

During a chemistry class, a test tube of heated lauric acid was lowered into a beaker of cold water. A vapour cloud was released, and the heated acid contacted one student. Three adjacent classrooms were evacuated, and several students were treated by emergency medical personnel.

Injury Type : Lacerations
Core Activity : Scaffolding rentals and installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147230188
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was walking through a work yard when he collapsed and fell to the ground.

Injury Type : Fractured leg, bruising
Core Activity : Grapple yarding
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009137160098
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was assisting a grapple yarding crew with rigging up for yarding. He entered a hazard area on the landing without permission from the yarder operator and was struck by the grapple.
See a slide show about a similar incident in which the worker died:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=35665

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Highrise residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950564
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A fire was discovered on the 17th level of a concrete residential highrise under construction. The fire consumed building materials and generated smoke damage before being extinguished by the fire department.

Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009110110259
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was painting a second-storey soffit and fascia while standing on a combination step/extension ladder (8 to 10 feet) with its base on a deck. The worker fell off the ladder and landed on the deck.

Injury Type : Fractured foot
Core Activity : Window cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270251
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was on a ladder, cleaning windows at a private residence, when the ladder slid sideways. The worker fell about 12 feet, landing on an uneven cement walkway.

Injury Type : Partial amputation of finger
Core Activity : Bakery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009147230186
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

As a worker was clearing dough from a muffin depositor, the roller (dough dispenser) was inadvertently activated. One hand was near a hole in the roller. The roller turned a quarter turn, catching the worker's finger and pulling it into the machine.

Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Asbestos surveying
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700210
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While conducting an asbestos survey, a worker contacted a 7.2-kV primary overhead power line that was lying over a trailer home. An energized power pole had been felled by a chainsaw, and the transformer had been removed.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for utilities
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110352
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A backhoe snagged a 14-kV underground conductor while excavating for water and sewer service at a residential construction site. The conductor was pulled away from the connection at the low-profile transformer located about 15 metres from the excavation site.

Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Cladding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710250
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was using cross braces as a ladder while descending the side of an unfinished building. A brace slipped out from underfoot and the worker fell 11 feet.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850200
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A sling used to lift an air test bushing (about 15 feet long by 2 inches deep and weighing 1,000 pounds) was rigged so the sling eye applied the load to the safety catch of the crane hook during the lift. The safety catch failed, permitting the sling-supported end of the load to fall and hit the concrete floor 15 feet below. No workers were in the area.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158880358
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

The jib of a conventional tower crane collided with the jib of a luffing tower crane.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950244
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was digging a trench for the installation of a new 8-inch water valve when it pulled an abandoned 3/4-inch gas service at the 3-inch main. Nearby homes and businesses were evacuated and traffic was re-directed.

Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Motel
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009138190193
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A person entered a motel office, produced a knife, and demanded money from the front desk clerk. The worker stepped into a room behind the counter and locked the door. The suspect fled the scene.
Read a hazard alert about safe work practices for workplaces with a risk of violence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663

Injury Type : Cuts, abrasions, bruising
Core Activity : Sheathing roof
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154970425
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was hooking a lifeline around a ridge truss when the lifeline dislodged. The worker lost his footing and slid down the roof (pitch of 6/12), then fell 29 feet to grade.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750595
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Materials were being lowered on a power ladder when the ladder collapsed. Bolts used to secure the sections of the ladder had not been installed.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050251
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A grader was preparing a surface for a curb and sidewalk installation when the blade snagged a 1-inch underground gas line buried near the surface.

Injury Type : Dislocated shoulder and finger
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850274
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker fell about 8 feet from a ladder to a concrete driveway.

Injury Type : Concussion, bruises
Core Activity : House painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270263
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on a 6-foot stepladder, painting the skirting of the upper deck of a home, when the ladder suddenly collapsed. The worker fell about 5 feet to grade, striking his head on the lower deck surface on the way down.

Injury Type : Fractures (2 worker)
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830121
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

Two painters were on separate extension ladders, masking a 20-foot-high ceiling in a warehouse. The base of one ladder slid away, causing the base of the other ladder to slide out as well. Both workers fell to the concrete floor.

Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120269
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

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

Injury Type : Scraped legs
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009090580498
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was conducting cleanup duties when he walked onto a stationary lumber transfer deck where a forklift was placing lumber. The forklift operator did not see the worker and he was struck by a load of lumber.

Injury Type : Cuts, scratches
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180145
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was taking a break outside when he noticed an unidentified person in a co-worker's vehicle and asked him to leave. The unidentified person got out of the vehicle and assaulted the worker.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710257
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator's boom was raised to clear a fence. The boom contacted a 14.4-kV power line. No one was injured.

Injury Type : Compound fracture of leg
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009150180144
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was on a pallet rack, about 5 feet above grade. When the worker jumped down from the pallet rack, one pant leg became caught at shelf level and he landed on his free foot only.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Parking lot construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009152480281
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

An excavator was sloping the sides of a new parking lot when its bucket snagged the anchor stabilizing a utility pole. The pole, which held an energized 25-kV overhead power line, fell over. The excavator operator was not on site when the utility company arrived.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450293
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A B-train log transporter with a single trailer failed to negotiate a corner on a resource road. The log transporter rolled onto its passenger side. The seat-belted driver was uninjured.

Injury Type : Bruised arms, leg
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009158750177
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A worker was removing a cart loaded with frozen food from a walk-in freezer. As the cart was pulled down a ramp it turned to the side, tipped over, and struck the worker.

Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Equipment installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950587
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While descending a set of stairs, a young worker slipped and fell to the concrete floor below.

Injury Type : Dislocated shoulder
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950253
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

A young worker was on the peak of a roof with a pitch of 10:12, wearing personal fall protection. When the worker stepped on an unsecured piece of roofing felt, it slid and he fell onto the roof surface.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling foundation pile holes
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930288
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While foundation pile holes were being drilled under a sidewalk, drilling equipment contacted an underground natural gas distribution line. Neighbouring workplaces were evacuated until the line was repaired. No workers were injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Soil cleanup
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930286
Date of Incident : 2009-Sep

While cleaning the edge of a previously excavated work area, an excavator ruptured an underground gas line.

Injury Type : Chemical burns to eye
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080302
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker went to the first aid room complaining of particulates in his eye. The first aid attendant mistakenly administered a disinfecting solution to flush the eye.

Injury Type : Electric shock, burns on hand
Core Activity : Metal product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830101
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker installed a new plug on an electrical cable. When he plugged the cable into a 460-volt A/C receptacle, he received an electric shock.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mobile crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080242
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

The load line of an 80-ton mobile crawler crane contacted an energized high-voltage overhead power line.

Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, strains, bruising
Core Activity : Exterior painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270269
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was on an extension ladder about 16 feet above grade, painting. The ladder twisted away from the building, carrying the worker to the ground.

Injury Type : Injuries to leg
Core Activity : Wildfire danger tree falling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240265
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

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

Injury Type : Eye injury
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050206
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a worker was cutting thin strips of wood on a table saw, a piece broke off and entered the worker's eye. The worker was not wearing eye protection.

Injury Type : Broken bones, mild concussion, puncture wound
Core Activity : Ski hill operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270226
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers were performing routine maintenance on a T-bar ski lift from a lift suspended about 20 feet above grade. The lift was moving the workers to the next tower when one worker was dragged out of the lift by his lanyard, which was still attached to the previous tower. Significant torque was applied to the lift as the worker was dragged out, and the lift broke away from the cable. The second (injured) worker rode the lift to the ground.

Injury Type : Deep laceration to leg
Core Activity : Wooden truss manufacturing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161480174
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Straps had dropped behind the rail of a component saw, and a worker climbed onto the saw to retrieve them. When the worker jumped off the saw frame, his leg contacted the edge of the saw rail, which was not running.

Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Pub
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009138190184
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A person produced a knife and demanded money from the cashier. Once the thief had the money, he fled without further incident.
Read a hazard alert about safe work practices for workplaces with a risk of violence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161761018
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A fire at a wood frame condominium construction site burned a covered framing table occupying about 1,000 square feet. Fire services determined that a faulty extension cord ignited the fire.

Injury Type : Fatal (2 non-workers)
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128220129
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two customers were fatally stabbed inside a restaurant. No workers were involved in the incident.

Injury Type : Broken hip
Core Activity : Residential painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410111
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker was on a roof, painting a gable end. He fell off the roof and landed on concrete 12 feet below.

Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Cheque cashing business
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600202
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A person entered a store, produced a gun, and ordered a worker to hand over all the money on site. When the thief had the money, he ordered the worker to open the back door and to lock it behind him as he made his escape.
Read a hazard alert about safe work practices for workplaces with a risk of violence:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=35663

Injury Type : Serious injuries to hand
Core Activity : Wooden truss manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009158180206
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker's hand was injured as he tried to remove a staple from a 2x4 while a radial arm saw was still running.

Injury Type : Cracked vertebrae, fractured skull
Core Activity : Waste water treatment plant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870170
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was replacing a PVC line in a separator tank (a confined space). A pump was knocked down into the tank and struck the worker.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009140970234
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was in the paper machine control room when he heard a loud noise. He went to the operating floor, where he discovered that the bottom press felt was missing. The machine was shut down. Two press rolls were found on the floor with the felt bunched up in the middle.

Injury Type : Burns
Core Activity : Laboratory
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009113210104
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker in a lab was transferring 95 percent sulfuric acid from a 4-litre glass bottle into a beaker using a bottletop dispenser. The acid splashed the worker's face and chest.

Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (7 workers)
Core Activity : Pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009147050456
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A control room filled with smoke when a pump controlling air ventilation malfunctioned.

Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009163790103
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker at an oriented strand board production plant was opening an access hatch to look into a cyclone blower. The worker had climbed up a cross-member support and was descending from it when he lost his footing and fell about 32 feet.

Injury Type : Crush injuries to hand
Core Activity : Drug, vitamin, or pharmaceutical manufacture
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100738
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a young worker was performing maintenance on a ribbon blender, one hand was caught in the rotary blade.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810128
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A boulder, located underneath a gas line, was removed and relocated by hand so that a backhoe could scoop and lift it out of a shallow trench. While on a slight slope, the backhoe lost control of the boulder and it rolled back onto the gas line it had been moved from. This disconnected the coupling from a previous repair, releasing gas until the utility company was able to make repairs.

Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Cable logging
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480243
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A loaded water truck was travelling up a logging road with a grade of 22 percent when it lost power and rolled back downhill. The service brakes could not stop the truck and it eventually rolled over onto its roof. The driver had never driven this truck before.

Injury Type : Bruises
Core Activity : Crane operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870157
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

While a self-erecting crane was landing a load on the third floor of a building under construction, a young worker stepped backwards off an open side. He fell 9 feet to the floor below.

Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, arm, leg
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950226
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was on the deck of a house (about 15 feet above grade), moving a sheet of plywood. The worker fell from the deck and landed on a parked car below.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290461
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator was straddling the trench for an underground utility, off centre, when the pavement edge gave way and the right track of the excavator slid into the trench. The excavator's boom struck an unoccupied vehicle nearby, breaking a side window and damaging the door frame and roof.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009161290462
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An underground gas line (1 1/8 inch) was ruptured during excavation of a trench containing gas and data utilities. The gas line had been marked and located, but an excavator had slid into the trench earlier in the day and the trench had then been filled in to protect the gas line while the excavator was removed. The job site and neighbouring 126-bed residence were evacuated until the leak was repaired.

Injury Type : Serious lacerations
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700183
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was grinding concrete with a handheld grinder when the grinder's abrasive cup stone shattered.
Read a hazard alert about a similar incident in which a worker was fatally injured:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=33277

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009114550190
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Workers were shortening a swing stage that was suspended from a building exterior between the eleventh and third floors. A motor fell from the swing stage platform, where it had been placed temporarily.

Injury Type : Fractured vertebra
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009110750539
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Wood frame re-shore units (10 feet x 10 feet x 25 feet and 2,000 pounds) were being dismantled. A worker removed support braces from one unit, which became unstable and fell towards the worker. A 400-pound side wall component pinned the worker to the floor.

Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to legs
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009153370176
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A gas bar attendant (young worker) was washing the back window of a customer's van when a second vehicle ran into him. The worker was pinned between the two vehicles.

Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Log booming
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009137160075
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A 16-foot boom boat (sidewinder) was pushing a bundle of logs onto a log lift when the boat caught on the lift. As the machine started to lift the bundle of logs, the boom boat slid into the water and began to sink. The boat operator exited the submerged vessel and swam to nearby boom sticks.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Metal manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009093720187
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A crane mast failed. The plant area was barricaded while awaiting approval to proceed with the recovery operation.

Injury Type : Fractured, dislocated finger
Core Activity : Log home manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450253
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker noticed a loose drive chain at the head rig outfeed. The millwright correctly applied a lock, following the head rig lockout procedures. On the last step in the lockout procedure, the millwright completed his security test. The security test failed due to a faulty switch. Meanwhile, the sawyer had entered the hazard area without securing the outfeed. During the failed security test, the sawyer's hand became entangled in the outfeed chain, at the sprocket. There is no line of sight between the security test location and the area where the injury occurred.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wooden pole manufacturing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009143950176
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A fire started in the retort at a wood pole manufacturing plant. Workers attempted to put the fire out with fire extinguishers before calling the fire department.

Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Lumber mill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530307
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker was piling boards in a lumber mill when one glove got caught in a drive pulley.

Injury Type : Broken ribs, punctured lung
Core Activity : Seine fishing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009161530150
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker on the beach was knocked into the water after being struck by his beachline (used to tie a seine fishing vessel net to the beach). The beachline had been secured to a tree strap that parted under tension from the setting of the net.

Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Commercial garbage collection
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157410213
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A pedestrian died as a result of a motor vehicle accident involving a garbage truck.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009113820240
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

During the construction of a logging road, fly rock from a blast struck and damaged two vehicles that had been driven into the danger area.
Watch a slide show about another fly rock incident:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/SlideShows.asp?ReportID=34853

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site surface preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120253
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator was travelling along a roadway. As it crested the top of a hill, its boom contacted an overhead 7.2-kV power line.

Injury Type : Soreness
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600191
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A tractor pulling two flatbed trailers of 3-high lumber packages took a wide turn to enter an open gate. The trailers and load flopped off the shoulder of the road, turned onto their side, and pulled the tractor cab with them.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530300
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A natural gas service line was ruptured during excavation for a sewer line. Local residences were evacuated until the gas company shut off the gas flow.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490305
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A skid-steer front-end loader with an auger attachment was digging a hole for the installation of school playground equipment. The auger contacted an energized underground conductor.

Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155730167
Date of Incident: 2009-Aug

A homeowner was laying out floor joists on the second floor of a home under construction when he stepped backward onto an unsecured joist that twisted. He fell about 20 feet to gravel below. No form of fall protection was in use.

Injury Type : Bruising to head, neck, back, hands
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009116080316
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

At an acute care facility, a psychiatric patient leapt over the intake-area counter and repeatedly punched a nurse.

Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae and facial bones
Core Activity : Residential tree falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009158920201
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An unregistered tree faller/topper was attempting to fall a slender (7 inches in diameter) 55-foot-tall tree in a homeowner's backyard. The tree struck a 10-foot-high stub about 20 feet away. The tree rocked on the stub, kicked back, and struck the faller.

Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker); serious injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Barge operations
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009154930270
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers were travelling back to their employer's home base when they were involved in a single-vehicle MVA. Their vehicle rolled over, and both workers were ejected from the vehicle. One worker sustained fatal injuries. The second worker (a young worker) suffered numerous serious injuries.

Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Blueberry farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163270181
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A blueberry picker was run over by a motor vehicle backing up.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980274
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator ruptured a 3/4-inch gas line while excavating for a driveway.

Injury Type : Arm and chest pain
Core Activity : Research diving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700182
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was in the boat after completing a second dive when he experienced arm and chest pains.

Injury Type : Serious burns to arm, neck
Core Activity : Auto service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030336
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a worker was removing antifreeze from a radiator, the upper radiator hose dislodged from the engine.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Equipment rentals
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050222
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A crane operator was preparing a 24-ton mobile crane for transport when the lifting chain doubled up on itself, causing the three-part block to fall and swing into an overhead electrical line.

Injury Type : Broken ribs, lung injury
Core Activity : Siding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117080238
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was installing siding while standing on a manufactured sawhorse (about 3 feet above grade). The sawhorse was resting on uneven and unstable ground. The worker fell off the sawhorse, onto a wooden crate.

Injury Type : Fatal (missing and presumed drowned)
Core Activity : Helicopter operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009114050277
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A helicopter was helping to fight a wildfire. It hovered above a river, filling a water bucket attached to the aircraft by a long line. Suddenly the helicopter fell into the river, and the pilot (the lone occupant) was swept downstream by the fast current.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980282
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An excavator was digging drainage for a commercial business when it ruptured a 2-inch gas main.

Injury Type : Leg abrasion, bruising
Core Activity : Installing rebar cage
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710235
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

While moving an 18-metre-long rebar cage, a zoom-boom forklift became unstable and tipped onto one side. Two riggers operating tag lines were not injured; the forklift operator sustained minor injuries.

Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (6 workers)
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009157440205
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

An edger operator heard a bang and immediately noticed flames beside the edger. By the time he had radioed to report a fire, flames had reached the ceiling. The mill was evacuated, but the edger operator and five nearby workers suffered from smoke inhalation. Local firefighters extinguished the blaze, whose cause is unknown.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating for water line repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157520230
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

While digging for water line repair, an excavator contacted a primary conductor, causing problems in the nearby primary transformer.

Injury Type : Fractured ribs
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490294
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

The operator of an empty log transporter was injured when the truck failed to negotiate a right-hand curve and travelled into the ditch on the left side of the roadway.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670202
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A work platform with a telescoping boom was being used to install windows. When the platform needed to be repositioned, the boom was retracted and traffic control was set up. A car travelling at high speed contacted the base of the platform.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Equipment transport
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670204
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker drove a large forklift onto a low-bed transport truck. The worker had exited the cab when the forklift rolled off the side of the trailer and landed on its side.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570099
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A tandem dump truck backed in and dumped its load, then pulled ahead with the box still raised. The box caught and broke overhead power and communications lines.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Backhoe operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950528
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A backhoe was digging a trench in a roadway when its bucket ruptured a gas line (60.3 mm in diameter) about 0.7 metres below grade.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490100
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

At an active sour gas processing facility (a facility that produces hydrogen sulfide gas), a 4-inch pipeline ruptured, releasing sour gas into the atmosphere at the site. Workers were immediately notified of the rupture and release, and they evacuated the site. The emergency shutdown system for the plant was successfully activated without injury or exposure to the four workers employed in the area.

Injury Type : Leg wound
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110343
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was trying to clear a jam in a pneumatic-coil nail gun. He rested the gun on his leg while he worked on it. When he closed the nail chamber cover, the gun discharged a 2.25-inch spiral nail into his leg.
Read a bulletin about preventing injuries from nail guns:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Posters.asp?ReportID=34835

Injury Type : Scrapes, bruises
Core Activity : Wood product manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160198
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was waiting for a forklift to remove a waste container. Behind him, a second forklift backed up with a load of wood. It struck and pinned him against the waste container.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Moving an oil and gas drilling rig
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009158820219
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A pole truck was lifting and separating a laid-down derrick (an oil and gas drilling derrick) when the structural beams on the derrick bent. The wrong lifting points were being used.

Injury Type : Crushed fingertip
Core Activity : Smelter
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009093720199
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A young worker's finger got caught in the pinch point of an anode rack.

Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Erecting steel I-beams
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810108
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

As a worker cut the last of three steel bands off a 13-foot bundle of I-beams, the I-beams suddenly released and landed on his leg.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Framing and forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810102
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A tracked excavator was re-positioning a trench cage when the knuckle of its boom contacted an overhead 14.4-kV power line. An emergency crew from the utility company came to the site. No one was injured.

Injury Type : Face and back injuries
Core Activity : Forest fire fighting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980269
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker was felling a 25-foot hemlock tree (10 inches in diameter) on a slope. As it fell, the tree became hung up on two saplings. As the worker tried to fell the saplings, the hemlock came free and struck the worker.

Injury Type : Scratches, bruises
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730214
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers were loading an old refrigerator onto the back of a 5-ton truck when the truck started to roll backwards down a hill. One worker jumped clear of the truck and sustained no injuries. The other worker held on to the back of the truck as it struck two parked vehicles and a telephone pole. The truck did not have wheel chocks in place, and the emergency brake was not adjusted properly.

Injury Type : Concussion, head laceration
Core Activity : Retail bakery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960290
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A worker accessing a storage room fell through an open, unguarded floor hatch.

Injury Type : Ammonia inhalation (2 workers)
Core Activity : Fruit or vegetable packing and storage
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009095610350
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

Two workers inhaled ammonia released from a faulty isolation valve on a roof-mounted compressor.

Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Product delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810100
Date of Incident : 2009-Aug

A boom truck was travelling along a residential street. While making a left-hand turn, the vehicle tipped onto the driver's side.

Injury Type : Minor injuries to head
Core Activity : Home renovation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155730154
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was standing on a ladder pulling nails from wood siding. The worker slipped and fell 4 feet to the concrete surface below.

Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113830162
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was on a ladder (16 feet above ground) painting fascia boards on a house when the ladder slipped out from under him.

Injury Type : Heat stress, temporary loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009155270249
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A roofer (young worker) fainted from heat stress while on the ground.

Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156240229
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A thief claiming to be armed with a gun demanded money from a restaurant cashier. The cashier handed over the money from the cash register and the thief left.

Injury Type : Crush injuries
Core Activity : Cruise ship operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950510
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was using a chain hoist (half-ton capacity) to install a loading bay work platform on the port side of a cruise ship. The steel platform (about 500 kg) was dislodged and fell from its position, striking and pinning the worker on the ship's deck.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gantry crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102866
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An employer-manufactured gantry hoist was hoisting and moving a power generator (60--70 tons) when the structure failed. The load fell, narrowly missing workers.

Injury Type : Cuts to arm and body
Core Activity : Brushing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480224
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was using a chainsaw to cut down vegetation growing around seedlings when he fell onto the running chainsaw bar.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Lawn maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160850151
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A tractor lawn mower ejected a rock (1.5-inch circumference) through the open door of an adjacent building. The rock narrowly missed three workers at the reception desk before striking a computer.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Planer mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120191
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A self-propelled telescopic boom lift was being serviced from the ground when its boom contacted a 25-kV power line.

Injury Type : Fractured hip
Core Activity : Control panel manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108620125
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was carrying material while descending a 6-foot stepladder. He lost his footing and fell to the concrete floor.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132534
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A remotely operated tower crane was moving about 5,000 pounds of concrete siding material from a flatbed truck to a job site. The material was hoisted over an exterior deck while the tower crane operator moved to the upper deck to land the load. The brakes did not hold the load, and the material landed on the upper exterior deck, then slid down onto a lower deck.

Injury Type : Amputated finger, broken finger
Core Activity : Pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2009110210107
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was inserting wood blocks in a wood grinder when he lost his footing.

Injury Type : Amputation of hand
Core Activity : Shake and shingle mill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009108440292
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was trimming cedar shingles when his hand contacted the running blade of the band saw.

Injury Type : Injuries to ribs, lung, shoulder
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157600154
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was on a ladder, trimming branches off a maple tree. As one branch was cut, it fell against the ladder, and the worker fell about 20 feet to the ground.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Ranching
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009140970199
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During extreme weather (suspected tornado), a worker was about to seek shelter in a barn when the barn collapsed. The worker was pinned between rafters of the fallen barn and the vehicle that he had exited.

Injury Type : Head laceration, possible concussion
Core Activity : Formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710194
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was dismantling formwork and falsework when a piece of 3/4-inch plywood (2 feet by 5 feet) came free and struck him.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009161740137
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A faller bucking the roots off a windfall ended up underneath the roots with fatal injuries.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Dredging
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670160
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was fatally injured when a pneumatically operated flap valve (26-inch diameter) on a dredge suction line was inadvertently activated and closed. The worker was pinned between a bulkhead and the external moving parts of the valve.

Injury Type : Fatal (2 workers)
Core Activity : Aircraft operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830057
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A twin-engine airplane crashed with two workers on board.

Injury Type : Shattered bones
Core Activity : Road paving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270182
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was unloading a packer from the back of a 3-ton flatbed truck parked on a 10 percent grade. After the worker had inched the packer forward to slacken the tie-down chains, the truck began to move forward. The worker jumped, landing on the pavement.

Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Crawler crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165410070
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Two workers were rigging a load to a crawler crane's number 1 main line when the number 2 main line released and swung like a pendulum. The headache ball on the number 2 line struck one of the workers, who dove over nearby material to avoid being struck again on the return swing.

Injury Type : Electric shock, head laceration
Core Activity : Elevator servicing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009112010025
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

While working on top of an elevator car, a worker contacted a live 270-volt wire. The electrical current caused the worker to repeatedly hit his head against a wall until he was able to break free.

Injury Type : Injuries to neck, head
Core Activity : Sewer system installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950501
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator was being used to hoist and install a precast concrete manhole in an excavation. A worker standing in the excavation, adjacent to the manhole barrel, was struck by the manhole lid (weighing 5,390 pounds).

Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Oil and gas trucking
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490095
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An oil field tank truck was leaving an oil production facility hauling a load of produced water. The access road was muddy and very slippery, and the truck began to slide into the ditch. The driver stopped the truck. As the truck sat on the edge of the road, the shoulder gave way and the truck slid sideways into the ditch and rolled onto its side.

Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570071
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was hammering a block wall with a hydraulic breaker (jackhammer) attached to a skid-steer front-end loader, about 10 feet above grade. The breaker component dislodged from the front boom, landing in the cab.

Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Drywall installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117670158
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

On a construction site, a worker exiting the building was struck by a falling tool. The tool had been dropped inadvertently by a worker on a telescoping work platform several storeys up.

Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161770203
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was doing roofing work from the top of a 24-foot aluminum extension ladder. The feet of the ladder were placed on a partial sheet of plywood, which in turn was placed on top of roofing debris in a garbage disposal bin. The base of the ladder moved, causing the worker to fall backwards about 20 feet and land on the top edge of the bin.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157270173
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Workers were adjusting trusses to correct the roof profile of an octagon-shaped building under construction. To make the adjustments, they removed one brace. Five minutes later they heard a loud snap at the opposite end of the roof. The entire roof structure, about 36 trusses, collapsed into the building.

Injury Type : Loss of consciousness, scrapes
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009157580172
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker entered a confined space (about 230 cm deep by 100 cm diameter) to shut the valve on a 2-inch water line. When the worker reached the bottom of the space and leaned over the valve, he lost consciousness. A worker who was standing by called for help. Three workers removed the unconscious worker from the confined space.
View three short videos about identifying, testing, and rescuing from confined spaces:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=35168

Injury Type : Chest and back injuries (2 workers)
Core Activity : Ambulance operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009112850176
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During an emergency call, an ambulance was involved in a motor vehicle crash. Both paramedics in the vehicle were injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009111110268
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A 10-ton load of pile pipe (70 feet long, 36 inches in diameter) was being lifted by two separate machines. At one end of the load was a 20-ton hoist with a non-rotating telescopic boom. At the other end was a 36-ton forklift. The load became unstable, causing the hoist to fall over.

Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Electrical installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165830053
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Two workers were moving an electrical cabinet (946 pounds) from a wooden pallet onto the forks of a hand pallet jack. The cabinet fell over and landed on one of the workers (a young worker).

Injury Type : Injuries to head, neck
Core Activity : Convenience store
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009112010022
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During an attempted robbery, a worker in a convenience store was assaulted.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Brushing under power line
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009116090014
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker felled a sapling onto an energized high-voltage power line.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710220
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator boom contacted the neutral line located below three 12-kV overhead power lines. When the boom was moved away, the utility pole holding up the overhead power lines began to sway. Two overhead power lines moved into close proximity, resulting in an electrical arc flash, tripped fuse, and power outage.

Injury Type : Serious injuries
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009165810095
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was seriously injured when he fell about 16 feet from a roof to the ground (concrete). No fall protection system was in place.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mushroom farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163270168
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Fire destroyed the production facility at a mushroom farm.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009115132542
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

The jib of a lower tower crane contacted the load line of a higher tower crane.

Injury Type : Fractured nose, lacerated face
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530258
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was turning a water valve when the water pressure blew a 2-inch steel cap off the pipe. The cap struck the worker.

Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker); serious injuries (1 worker)
Core Activity : Travelling to worksite
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009152480212
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Two young workers were travelling to a worksite when their vehicle rear-ended a 5-ton van making a left turn. The worker in the passenger's seat died; the worker who was driving suffered serious injuries.

Injury Type : Injured shoulder
Core Activity : Heavy equipment repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163730210
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was working on the engine of a truck parked uphill on a very steep incline. A strong gust of wind pushed the hood down onto the worker, knocking him to the ground.

Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009119700137
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

During construction of a home, a non-worker was on a 6-foot stepladder when he fell to the ground (about 4 feet), sustaining fatal injuries.

Injury Type : Bruised leg and arm
Core Activity : Installing soffits
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710217
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was on a stepladder near the edge of the 11th floor of a high-rise building. The worker fell off the stepladder and dropped about 4 feet before his personal fall arrest system stopped his fall. The worker pulled himself back up onto the 11th floor.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710214
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

While digging in a tree planter, an excavator damaged the conduit housing a high-voltage (12-kV) conductor. The lines inside the conduit were not damaged and the outer casing was repaired.

Injury Type : Hand injury
Core Activity : Water bombing fires
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450244
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A single-engine water bomber crashed and sank while attempting the first skim fill of the shift. The aircraft's landing gear may not have been retracted.

Injury Type : Back pain and swelling, difficulty breathing
Core Activity : Steel stud installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009163710213
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was working from a two-step drywall sawhorse when he fell. The worker reported that he fell because the sawhorse shook.

Injury Type : Fractured wrist
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030306
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was descending from the top of an entrance archway onto a scaffold system when he fell about 5 feet to the pavement.

Injury Type : Exposure to a noxious substance
Core Activity : Oil or gas operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530256
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Someone threw a rock through the window of an office, then released a noxious substance (suspected to be pepper spray) into the office. When workers arrived at the office, they experienced throat and nose irritation and started coughing. All workers were sent home.

Injury Type : Respiratory irritation, chest pain
Core Activity : Home improvement centre
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009119270060
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Workers and customers were evacuated from a store after a pungent, irritating odour was detected. One worker needed medical treatment.

Injury Type : Undetermined injuries (several workers)
Core Activity : Tree fruit harvesting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165880123
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A helicopter had been hired to hover over an orchard and blow rainwater off fruit to prevent cracking. Workers picking fruit were not cleared from the orchard when the helicopter arrived. The rotorwash caused workers to fall off their ladders, ladders to fall onto workers on the ground, and galvanized picking pails to become airborne.

Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160811
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was securing a load on a flat-deck truck. He climbed on top of the load (7 to 8 feet above grade), tripped, lost his balance, and fell to the ground.

Injury Type : Electrical burns
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157530211
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was removing a temporary power conduit located inside a live electrical service panel (600-volt) when he contacted the bus bars with the conduit.

Injury Type : Partially amputated finger
Core Activity : Planer mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120203
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A young worker was moving fallen 2x4 boards off a limit switch arm using a pike pole that was anchored to an outfeed chain. The pole jammed in the chain run, flung backwards, and pushed the worker's fingers against the stacker infeed chains.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450242
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A planerman entered a trim saw house to change a 22-inch trim saw blade. Just as he finished changing the blade, a worker inadvertently restarted the saw system. The planerman immediately exited the saw house area. Earlier, his lockout procedure had been interrupted when another worker tried to troubleshoot a separate problem. The planerman had not finished applying all of the locks required to lock out the saw blades securely.

Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Resort operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530249
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A former employee came to a workplace while intoxicated and provoked a heated discussion with a worker. The worker felt threatened and left the area to get help from a supervisor. No injuries were sustained.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Overpass construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009122700167
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A torch was being used to cut the top of metal girders on an abutment wall. The expanded polystyrene insulation behind the foundation wall caught fire.

Injury Type : Undetermined injuries
Core Activity : Logging
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160194
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A runaway log went past the chokerman and struck another log. The struck log scissored back, striking the chokerman in the back.

Injury Type : Fractured shoulder, broken ribs
Core Activity : Tree topping
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160809
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

To top a tree, a worker was on an extension ladder leaned against the tree, about 20 feet above grade. When the cut was completed, the top of the tree fell and struck the worker. The worker then fell to the ground.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Auto service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165870115
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A wooden racking system collapsed when a worker gave the racking a push.

Injury Type : Strained back, hip
Core Activity : Hydro-vac services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009131490268
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

To locate a broken water line, a worker was hydro-vacuuming an excavation underneath a mobile home. The excavation sides collapsed onto the worker's lower legs, causing him to stumble.

Injury Type : Multiple fractures
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124120208
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was standing next to a service truck on the shoulder of the road when he was struck by a passing transport truck.

Injury Type : Serious injuries to head and upper body
Core Activity : Taxi service
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009124490092
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

In the early morning hours, a taxi was dispatched to pick up a passenger outside an apartment building. The passenger got into the taxi, pulled out a wrench, and severely beat the driver.

Injury Type : Concussion, bruising, abrasion
Core Activity : Installing brick fascia
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161950513
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Wooden shoring posts and hydraulic jacks were being used to raise deflected areas of a suspended concrete slab within a concrete low-rise building. A wooden shore post (4 inches by 6 inches by 95 inches) fell from the seventh floor and struck a worker on a hydra-lift work platform at the fourth-floor level. The post glanced off the worker's hard hat before striking him.

Injury Type : Possible concussion (1 worker); lacerated foot, sprained arm (1 worker)
Core Activity : Tug and barge operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009161530138
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A tugboat capsized while towing a fuel barge.

Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Whitewater rafting
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009139050058
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

On a whitewater rafting trip, two rafts spilled guests and one guide into the river. One guest drowned.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Electrical work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009034450235
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

At a commercial construction site, lubrication pits were covered with 3/8-inch plywood hatch covers. A worker walked onto a hatch cover, it failed, and he then fell 5 feet 10 inches to a metal mezzanine, sustaining fatal injuries.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009116120204
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator working in a roadway near a mall and homes ruptured a 2-inch gas line. Gas flowed for about an hour before it was stopped.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050173
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

Hand locating was done during ground preparations for installing new utility services. Despite this, a gas line was contacted, gas entered a private home, and extensive fire damage occurred.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Seismic blasting
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2009161740142
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A non-worker cut the detonating cord of an explosive initiation device. WorkSafeBC and government authorities were consulted before the blaster successfully detonated the explosives.

Injury Type : Lacerated hand
Core Activity : Logging operations
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009156160195
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A faller was using a chainsaw to prepare a back cut when he tried to move a twig with one hand. Either the twig caught in the chain and pulled his hand in, or his hand slipped off the twig into the chain.

Injury Type : Crushed hand
Core Activity : Plywood manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009157380217
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker opened the inspection plate to a small conveyor to check for moisture. The conveyor, which was not locked out, cycled automatically while the worker's hand was inside.

Injury Type : Serious hand injuries
Core Activity : Retail bakery
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009102100649
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was feeding dough into the feed rolls of a dough sheeter. While reaching for dough that was not feeding properly, the worker's hand was pulled into the press rolls.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Culvert installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009157530187
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

An excavator was digging a trench for a culvert when it contacted a guide wire between two utility poles. Two energized 14.4-kV power lines were dislodged from their insulators.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Delivery of rental equipment
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009165570067
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A truck was towing a trailer with an extendable boom forklift on it. When the truck turned left, the trailer dislodged from the truck, overturned, and landed on its side at the edge of the road.

Injury Type : Amputation of fingertip
Core Activity : Residential renovation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960254
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

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

Injury Type : Strained neck, back, and hip
Core Activity : Golf course maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010165870058
Date of Incident : 2009-Jul

A worker was driving a utility vehicle towing a jet blower to the maintenance shed. The brakes failed coming around a curve with a steep incline. The worker jumped out of the vehicle and landed on a tee deck. The vehicle and blower came to rest about 70 feet below.

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