This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.

WorkSafeBC

banner image

Incident Summaries

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

You can also see summaries for all industries.

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.

Blasting

[Updated May 2009]

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009137102733
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

During blasting at a new residential development, fly rock struck homes. Numerous workers were in the area but none of them were injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Avalanche control
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050023
Date of Incident : 2009-Jan

An avalanche control blast was set off at a ski hill operation. The blast damaged a lift operator's shack 40 metres away, but the three workers inside the shack were not injured. The blaster had underestimated the blast concussion that would result from the amount of explosive used.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009113820032
Date of Incident : 2009-Jan

A blaster initiated a blast and gave the all-clear. An excavator began working in the area and inadvertently set off an explosion.

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 : Close call
Core Activity : Transport of blasting equipment
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008137102620
Date of Incident : 2008-Oct

A large blasting drill rig was being transported from one quarry to another on a winding road with steep sections. The drill rig was on a low-bed trailer pulled by a transport truck. The operator was having difficulty getting up a steep turn and decided to raise the "jeep" section of his tractor-trailer to put more weight directly on the rear drive train, to improve traction. The height of the raised load was more than 17 feet, and the drill rig hooked overhead lines. A power pole was pulled over and a 14.4-kV line landed on the drill rig.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008137102606
Date of Incident : 2008-Sep

During construction, a blast was set off in a residential area. Fly rock struck and damaged nearby homes and vehicles. Fortunately, people in the area (workers and non-workers) were not injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting for road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550189
Date of Incident : 2008-Sep

During road construction, fly rock from a blast struck a house.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008137102582
Date of Incident : 2008-Sep

During blasting at a remote construction site, fly rock travelled about 450 metres and struck a building on the site.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008112850183
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

At a construction site, the force of blasting dislodged a high-voltage underground transformer from its concrete vault.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980208
Date of Incident : 2008-Jul

Fly rock struck two private vehicles inside the danger area.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting in an urban area
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008163270023
Date of Incident : 2008-Aug

During blasting, fly rock flew about 250 feet. The fly rock broke a window pane, roof tiles, and a vehicle's windshield. It also damaged the hood of another parked vehicle.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008156240138
Date of Incident : 2008-Jun

A blaster loaded 35 holes. When the holes were fired, the centre of the blast area erupted upward, lifting the mats and overburden about 100 feet into the air. Fly rock damaged the roof of an adjacent building, but no one was hurt. The blaster had not provided a relief hole for the blast.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008155980132
Date of Incident : 2008-Jun

When a blast was fired for the excavation of a sewer line trench, fly rock was ejected about 75 metres from the front of the blast. It struck the roofs of adjacent homes and a parked car, but no one was injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Logging road construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008161740087
Date of Incident : 2008-May

A blast appeared to have misfired. The blaster waited 40 minutes before returning to the blast site. At the blast site, he cut the safety fuse assembly from the shock tube and threw it away. The safety fuse assembly exploded.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Logging road construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2008158930095
Date of Incident : 2008-May

A driller-blaster was returning from a post-blast inspection when he was struck and pinned against the tracks of an excavator by a large log that rolled off the steep cutbank above.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting for road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550098
Date of Incident : 2008-May

A nighttime blasting operation knocked over a power pole along with attached high-voltage power lines and telecommunications lines.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008107970172
Date of Incident : 2008-May

Fly rock from a blast damaged several nearby homes.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting for road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550066
Date of Incident : 2008-Apr

Fly rock resulted from a blast that misfired.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting for road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2008114550024
Date of Incident : 2008-Jan

Fly rock from a blast hit the first of three 14-kV overhead power lines. The force pushed the line off the insulator and against the centre power line, causing a power outage.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560528
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A member of the public found an unsecured explosive cartridge on a construction site after working hours.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550149
Date of Incident : 2007-May

Fly rock from blasting reportedly took out one of three overhead 25-kV power lines.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007116180061
Date of Incident : 2007-Mar

Fly rock material escaped from a matted blast and struck a house across the highway.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2006037470357
Date of Incident : 2006-Oct

A piece of fly rock landed in the yard of a house.

Injury Type : Non-injury
Core Activity : Ski hill construction
Location : BC
ID Number : 2006034450419
Date of Incident : 2006-Oct

A blaster qualified for avalanche control blasted a rocky outcropping. Fly rock damaged a chimney 350 metres from the blast area.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Rock blasting for road construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2006156160235
Date of Incident : 2006-Aug

At a road construction site, a blast ejected fly rock, striking a number of civilian vehicles and a newly constructed bridge pier.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2006122700509
Date of Incident : 2006-Jun

An unexpected explosion occurred at a blasting operation while the blaster was in the blasting area.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction drilling and blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2006037470243
Date of Incident : 2006-May

Fly rock from a blast flew approximately 500 feet, damaging a sundeck.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID number : 2006107970289
Date of Accident : 2006-May

Fly rock from a blast slightly damaged a house under construction and scattered fly material over a roadway.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Avalanche control at ski hill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID number : 2006128680028
Date of Accident : 2006-Mar

A ski patrol was doing avalanche control work using an blasting gun to fire 1-kg explosive projectiles into selected snow masses 450 metres downrange. A charge was loaded and the gun pressurized to 145 psi. When the gun was fired, the explosive projectile travelled only 20 metres and landed in front of the gun hut, arming itself when it buried into the snow. The gun crew destroyed the charge in place.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Avalanche control at ski hill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID number : 2006128680026
Date of Accident : 2006-Feb

During routine avalanche control, a 1-kg explosive charge was loaded into a blasting gun in preparation for firing into a snow mass. As the gun was being brought up to firing pressure using nitrogen gas, the explosive charge was prematurely expelled out of the barrel and landed about 20 feet in front of the gun tower. The charge became armed during this short flight but did not detonate. Initial reports indicate that the seals in the gun breach may have been ineffective and allowed nitrogen gas to bypass and develop pressure behind the charge until it reached a point where the charge was expelled.

Injury Type : Lacerations, bruising
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Northern BC
ID number : 2006144250045
Date of Accident : 2006-Feb

A tractor-trailer unit carrying explosives was going down an icy hill when it lost control, ran off the road, and jackknifed, spilling approximately 36,000 pounds of explosives.

Injury Type : Minor lacerations and percussion injuries to ears (3 workers)
Core Activity : Tunnelling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID number : 2006090920013
Date of Accident : 2006-Jan

Three workers were injured in an underground working when an excavating machine contacted unexploded blasting materials buried in muck and fill near the face of the tunnel. There was a lack of safe work procedures and supervision of the blasting operation.

Injury Type : Broken lower leg
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID number : 2005114550099
Date of Accident : 2005-Apr

A blast had been detonated and the cleanup was to begin when a large rock rolled and struck the blaster's leg.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID number : 2005117650394
Date of Accident : 2005-Feb

Small amounts of fly rock escaped from a matted blast and travelled approximately 60 metres, landing on private property.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Avalanche control at ski hill
Location : Central Interior
ID number : 2005037470061
Date of Accident : 2005-Feb

During avalanche control blasting, a 1-kg projectile explosive charge blew up in mid-air shortly after leaving the barrel of the gun. The blast occurred 40-100 feet from the gun; no one was injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID number : 2005112130039
Date of Accident : 2005-Feb

Flyrock from a rock blast in a new subdivision struck nearby homes.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Construction at a hydro generating plant
Location : Central Interior
ID number : 2004070363
Date of Accident : 2004-Jul

A "zoom boom" forklift attempted to remove a pump adjacent to a loaded blast zone. The forklift tipped over into the blast zone, narrowly missing workers and the explosives.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID number : 2004060313
Date of Accident : 2004-Jun

A blaster detonated a blast that resulted in fly rocks damaging a nearby house.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID number : 2004060268
Date of Accident : 2004-Jun

Piled lumber (kiln lumber) was unexpectedly knocked over while a sawmill foundation was being blasted.

Injury Type : Facial injuries (1 worker); multiple injuries to the upper torso (1 worker)
Core Activity : Drilling/blasting
Location : Northern BC
ID number : 2004050210
Date of Accident : 2004-May

Several sticks of explosive material detonated while a driller/blaster was actively loading a hole. Both drillers/blasters at the site were injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Oil or gas production
Location : Northern BC
ID number : 2003040106
Date of Accident : 2003-Mar

A bulldozer working on a pipeline construction project drove over approximately 60 holes loaded with explosives. The explosives belonged to an adjacent 3-D seismic survey project.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Logging road construction or maintenance
Location : Vancouver Island
ID number : 2003040123
Date of Accident : 2003-Mar

A private citizen was within the proximity of a blast.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting and drilling
Location : Central Interior
ID number : 2003010009
Date of Accident : 2003-Jan

A piece of fly rock from a blast flew approximately 500 metres and damaged the roof of a covered deck.

Injury Type : Fractured right heel
Core Activity : Blasting or avalanche control
Location : Northwest BC
ID number : 2002100389
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct

The operator of a wheel loader was injured when he slipped and fell to the ground while dismounting the machine.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Helicopter operation
Location : Northern BC
ID number : 2002090342
Date of Accident : 2002-Sep

A helicopter pilot in a mountainous area was moving heli-portable drills from one shot point (a drilled hole loaded with explosives) to another when a problem arose. The pilot ejected the drill from the load line but the aircraft crashed, killing the pilot.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Avalanche Control
Location : South Okanagan / Kootenay
ID number : 2001120356
Date of Accident : 2001-Dec

Explosives used for avalanche control misfired. Fuses burned, but charges failed to detonate.



You can return to the Top of this page