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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 Public Sector incidents are available online.

Public Sector - Incident Summaries

All Sectors | Construction | Manufacturing | Primary Resources | Public Sector | Service Sector | Trade | Transportation & Warehousing | Young Worker

Public Sector incident summaries from other dates

2009 - (updated September 24, 2009)

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 : 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 : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Public works yard
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009155980215
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A crane truck with an articulating boom was loading replantable trees onto the truck's deck. As one tree was loaded, the steel banding around the root ball being used as a lift point failed. The tree fell 6 feet and struck the worker guiding the load.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Recreation complex
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009143950155
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A refrigeration plant pressure safety valve released, and the ventilation system discharged ammonia outside the building. Some of the discharged ammonia was drawn back into the building through the air intake. The smell of ammonia was detected inside the building.
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 : Fractured skull, laceration, possible internal injuries
Core Activity : Golf course maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009129160774
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A young worker was riding a mower, rolling golf course greens that were very wet from a recent rainfall. While travelling between greens, the mower lost traction and its tires slid. The mower went over a rock face in a bunker and landed on its wheels about 3 feet below the surface of the greens.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Swimming pool
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009109750069
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

At a public swimming pool, the high-level chlorine alarm sounded and staff evacuated the pool and contacted emergency services. The fire department responded and closed the chlorine cylinders. However, chlorine continued to leak from at least one cylinder for another 5 hours. The gas supplier fixed the leaking cylinder.
Injury Type : Possible exposure to hazardous substance
Core Activity : Transfer station operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009128230168
Date of Incident : 2009-Jun

A refuse transfer station was evacuated after the operator of a loader inside the facility suddenly became congested and had difficulty breathing.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installing water services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009120030250
Date of Incident : 2009-May

A backhoe's bucket contacted an underground gas line. Traffic was rerouted and an adjacent business was evacuated. No one was injured.
Injury Type : Hand laceration
Core Activity : Local government and related operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009117930070
Date of Incident : 2009-May

As a worker was repairing a loader, the ball joint was blown out of the ram socket and struck the worker's hand. The worker had heated up both the ram and the ball joint.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation (5 workers); burns and foot injury (1 worker)
Core Activity : Fire brigade
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2009111080049
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

Six firefighters were injured while fighting a fire in a residential building.
Injury Type : Non-injury
Core Activity : Court services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009163050072
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A local detachment of the RCMP received a telephoned bomb threat regarding the court services building. The building was evacuated, and no injuries were sustained by employees or members of the public.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility upgrades
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009154960122
Date of Incident : 2009-Apr

A backhoe was digging 1 metre from a located 2-inch gas line when it ruptured an intersecting 1-inch gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Firefighting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009154900012
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During a fire drill, workers were operating a fire truck with an aerial ladder. The ladder's waterway, which holds the nozzle and piping, broke away when the water line was charged. The force of the water thrust the nozzle past the end of the ladder and against an adjacent building.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Culvert installation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009159110089
Date of Incident : 2009-Mar

During excavation to install a storm drain culvert, the excavator either pushed a large rock into a gas line or its bucket struck the line, causing natural gas to be released. The line had been terminated but it was still connected to the main gas line and charged.
Injury Type : Eye irritation, headache (2 workers)
Core Activity : Government services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2009112840023
Date of Incident : 2009-Feb

Twenty-three workers in an office were exposed to chlorodifluoromethane that leaked from the condenser of a heat pump. Two of the workers required medical attention. It was later found that during an inspection of the 5-ton heat pump, a hatch had been removed. When the hatch was put back, it was secured with a longer screw, which pierced the condenser line. About 12 pounds of the gas were inadvertently released.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Landfill operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2009093690014
Date of Incident : 2009-Jan

A large underground fire occurred at a landfill operation. Landfill workers stayed a safe distance from the fire.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Firefighting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009160530014
Date of Incident : 2009-Jan

Two firefighters were carrying a large bird cage out of a structure that was on fire. One of the firefighters was walking backwards and tripped over a fire hose.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Snow removal
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2009111970017
Date of Incident : 2009-Jan

A loader was back-blading snow from against a chain link fence when it pulled off a natural gas regulator and guard posts. The area was safely evacuated.


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"Public Sector" incidents from other dates