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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 Service Sector incidents are available online.

Service Sector - Incident Summaries

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

Service Sector incident summaries from other dates

2007

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158910238
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A worker was limbing a tree near high-voltage overhead power lines (25-kV phase to phase). A branch that had fallen onto the power lines erupted into flames, damaging the lines and causing a power outage.
Injury Type : Amputation of two fingers
Core Activity : Ski hill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2008034450008
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A lift chair was operating while a worker was doing maintenance. The maintenance worker was attempting to hand-dress a running drive belt (3/4 x 20 inches) with emery cloth. The cloth became snagged, and the worker's hand was pulled into the sheave.
Injury Type : Crushing injury to finger, severe bruising to one side of body
Core Activity : Vehicle damage assessment
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520175
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A forklift transported a damaged vehicle to a parking area with a slight slope. Although the vehicle's transmission had been set in park, when the vehicle was released by the forklift it started to roll down the slope. In an attempt to activate the emergency brake on the runaway vehicle, the forklift operator tried to enter through the driver's door. The operator was trapped by the door when the runaway vehicle sideswiped a parked vehicle on the driver's side. The worker remained trapped for approximately 90 minutes before he was discovered. The employer did not have adequate procedures for workers who are working alone or in isolation.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Security services
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007104070186
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A worker was doing work on a mezzanine-type shelf about 6 feet off the ground. As the worker stepped from the shelf onto a stepladder, he slipped and fell onto hard objects below. The worker felt well enough to finish his shift, but later lost consciousness and died.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550305
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A worker was cutting down a fir tree (30 inches in diameter, 100 feet tall) in an urban residential area. The tree was approximately 6 feet from an overhead high-voltage power line. As the tree was being cut into sections, part of the tree struck and broke the line. The worksite had not been inspected by a qualified person to identify hazards before work began.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Auto recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007137102324
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A car weighing about 3,600 pounds had just been hoisted on an automotive hoist with a 9,000-pound capacity. The worker set the mechanical safety devices (dawgs) and released the hydraulic pressure to set the hoist on the dawgs. As the worker rounded the car to open his toolbox, the dawgs on one side of the hoists sheared or otherwise failed. The vehicle fell to the ground, narrowly missing the worker.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Motel resort
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050266
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A robber entered a workplace and demanded money from the worker. Police were called after the robber left.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Pulling low-voltage wire
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155730650
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker was on a landing 3 feet by 5 feet, pulling low-voltage wire, when he fell to the level below (approximately 10 feet).
Injury Type : Compound fractures of the leg
Core Activity : Tree service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007138190357
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker's leg was pulled into the infeed rollers of a wood chipper.
Injury Type : Fractured leg, cuts and bruises (1 worker); cuts and bruises (1 worker)
Core Activity : Land surveying
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007158820167
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A 1-ton pickup truck struck the side of a 5-ton flat-deck truck. The collision occurred on a petroleum development road (PDR) at the bottom of a snow-covered hill. The two workers in the pickup suffered numerous cuts and bruises and one of them broke his leg.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Load testing of tower crane
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080359
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A 45-ton self-erecting tower crane was performing the maximum load test when the test blocks, crane load-block, and load line suddenly dropped and fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Leg contusion
Core Activity : Tire service and repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680227
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A tire service technician was re-inflating a dismounted truck tire on a single-piece wheel. The tire blew off the rim of the wheel and struck the worker's leg. The rim was damaged from wear or corrosion and should have been inspected and rejected. In addition, the tire was not put in a cage for inflation after the bead was set, and the air hose was not equipped with a hand-operated valve and in-line gauge to keep the worker out of the trajectory.
View a slide show on tire servicing:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?reportid=34001
See a manual on large tire servicing:
http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety
/by_topic/assets/pdf/large_vehicle_tire.pdf
Injury Type : Broken ribs, collarbone, broken arm, vertebrae
Core Activity : Exterior lighting maintenance
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007159110087
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was on an extension ladder, changing light bulbs, when he slipped and fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Servicing vehicle on automotive hoist
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158910208
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A tandem-axle, rear-load garbage truck was being lowered on an automotive hoist in a maintenance shop. One of the rear hoist brackets failed or shifted, causing the vehicle to tip over sideways and fall 4 to 6 feet, coming to rest on the shop floor.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Beer and wine store in hotel
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050258
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A masked person entered the beer and wine store of a hotel and demanded money, claiming he had a hand grenade. The robber left after the worker on duty gave him money from the cash register.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Hotel
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050259
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A robber entered the beer and wine store of a hotel and demanded money while brandishing a handgun. The robber left when the two workers gave him the money.
Injury Type : Abrasions and bruising to lower body
Core Activity : Pressure washing of fuel tanks
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137160229
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was testing a high-pressure water blasting system (8000 psi) when the fitting that connects the hose with the stiff lance blew apart. The pressurized hose whipped around and struck the worker.
View a slide show about a workplace fatality involving high-pressure waterjet:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?reportid=33858
Read a WorkSafe bulletin on how to work safely with high-pressure waterjets:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/posters.asp?ReportID=34201
Injury Type : Exposure to H2S gas causing temporary loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Hot oiling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007124490129
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

Workers on an oil and gas site were rigging down their equipment after completing a hot oiling operation on a 5-percent hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sour oil well. (Hot oiling is the process of pumping hot oil down an oil well to remove a buildup of paraffin wax in the well bore that is impeding the extraction of oil from the well.) A tank truck on the site had received a load of hot oil from the well. The truck's operator was assisting the hot oiling crew to dismantle and store their gear on the back of the hot oiling truck. The hot oil truck was continuing to pump air from the oil well into the hot oil tank on the back of the truck. H2S gas was discharged from the vent line on the hot oil truck into the face of the tank truck driver as he worked at the back of the truck. The tank truck driver attempted to escape the area and collapsed unconscious after taking several steps. The other workers removed him to safety.
Injury Type : Exposure to an unknown substance (6 workers)
Core Activity : Acute care facility
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007157580317
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

Workers in the sterilization department of an acute care facility were exposed to an unknown chemical resulting in eye/nose/throat irritation. Parts of the facility were evacuated and the fire department was called for assistance.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures to pelvis, leg
Core Activity : Tree topping and falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007102100448
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An arborist fell approximately 40 feet from a large (22-inch diameter) cottonwood tree he was sectioning down.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Private club operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050257
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A person entered a club and demanded money from the bartender, claiming to have a bomb. The robber left after the worker handed over the money.
Injury Type : Exposure to mercury vapour (9 workers)
Core Activity : Science lab at school
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007158820157
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A large mercury thermometer broke, releasing mercury in a prep room between two science labs. Although two-thirds of the mercury column stayed in the thermometer, approximately 300-400 grams of mercury spilled out. Nine workers, including one young worker, are believed to have been exposed to mercury vapours over three days.
Injury Type : Abrasions and bruising
Core Activity : Gutter cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550244
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was cleaning gutters from a ladder placed on a slippery wooden deck. He fell approximately 7 feet.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Heavy equipment repair
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007104070141
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

Two workers were using a chain fall to move the bottom section of a chipper chute towards a set of double doors. They stopped the pull to open the doors. The back end of the chute got caught on a small lip on the steel deck. One of the workers stepped onto the chute to access the doors, which released the chute from the lip. At the same time, the other worker placed his foot in front of the chute. The released chute crushed the worker's ankle against a steel curb.
Injury Type : Concussion, broken bones, abrasions
Core Activity : Electrical service line clearing (pruning)
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007070890089
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A groundsman was loading branches into a mobile wood chipper when a tree limb dropped from above landed on his head. The worker was wearing a hardhat.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to shoulder
Core Activity : Heavy equipment servicing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007104070134
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

The boom of a 20-ton mobile crane was fully extended and resting on blocking to allow the operator to check the main boom pin. He then raised the boom and retracted it. The block got stuck. Without fully deploying the outriggers, the operator tried to swing the boom slightly to the side. The boom exceeded the balancing point and the crane tipped over.
Injury Type : Facial laceration
Core Activity : Landscaping and irrigation system installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157560431
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was cutting a PVC pipe with a hand-held grinder. Its silicon carbide zip-cut blade shattered, and a fragment struck the worker. The guarding was either missing or ineffective, and a face shield had not been provided.
Injury Type : Chest and back pain
Core Activity : Pressure-washing vehicles
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147230059
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a worker was pressure-washing a vehicle, it was struck by a second vehicle. Upon impact, the worker was thrown into a concrete wall.
Injury Type : Sprained neck
Core Activity : Leisure or social sporting club
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730713
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was standing on a 3-step elevated platform to dump a large object into a disposal bin. As he dumped the object, his head snapped backward. Later in the day the worker felt tingling and numbness on his face.
Injury Type : Friction burn to hand, lacerated leg
Core Activity : Pressure washing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730711
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

During power washing of a highrise building, a worker was attempting to rest on a boatswain's chair hanging on the side of the building. He slipped and inadvertently grabbed the rope grab and disengaged the mechanism, allowing the rope grab to slide freely. Realizing his mistake, the worker released the rope grab, but by that time he had slid down 7 floors, holding onto his lifeline by the rope grab.
Injury Type : Severe injuries to arm, facial injuries
Core Activity : Conveyor belt adjustment/modification
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007155400413
Date of Incident : 2007-Sep

A millwright was using a 40-inch bar to clean the drive roller of a 4-foot-wide conveyor belt. His arm was in the space between the top and bottom of the belt. The bar and his arm were pulled into and around the drive roller.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Commercial diving
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2007157490200
Date of Incident : 2007-Sep

A young worker was working as a diver at a fish farm although he was not certified as an occupational diver. He was removing dead fish from the bottom of a floating fish pen at a depth of 100 feet. The worker was discovered unconscious by a rescue diver and could not be revived. See a bulletin about the requirements for diving operations at a workplace: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=34784
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas utility service call
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147230055
Date of Incident : 2007-Sep

A gas utility company sent a technician to investigate a report of natural gas odour at a vacant house. As the technician approached, the gas in the house exploded.
Injury Type : Tingling in arms and legs
Core Activity : Motion picture production
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128220132
Date of Incident : 2007-Sep

A worker was hit on the head by a falling piece of film set weighing approximately 100 pounds.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Removal of underground storage tank
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520106
Date of Incident : 2007-Sep

As an excavator was digging to remove an old heating oil storage tank from a residential property, it snagged and ruptured an underground gas line. Underground utilities had not been located before excavating began.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Delivery of newspapers/flyers
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520105
Date of Incident : 2007-Sep

A newspaper delivery worker was startled and fell onto the pavement when a dog barked inside a house. The worker later succumbed to injuries sustained in the fall.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to pelvis and hip
Core Activity : Automotive sales and service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158750071
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

A pickup truck was supported on a 2-post automotive hoist when the truck slid off the hoist. The rear of the vehicle landed on the shop floor, striking a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Heavy equipment sales and service
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007140970275
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

A crane was lifting a mobile equipment chassis that weighed less than the crane's rated capacity (5 tons). The hook and block failed, and the chassis, hook, and block fell to the floor.
Injury Type : Multiple fractures of leg
Core Activity : Heavy equipment service and repair
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007109910182
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

As a mechanic was changing the boom cylinders on a tracked skid-steer loader, the stand supporting the raised boom shifted. The boom dropped onto his leg. The single support stand could not provide adequate stability.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Resort maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007143950209
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

A worker was working alone, using a horse to haul logs. A log being hauled by the horse apparently disturbed a wasp nest on the ground. The distressed horse struck the worker on the side of the head, causing fatal injuries.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to shoulder
Core Activity : Installation of playing fields
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700228
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

A semi-trailer end dump truck was dumping its load when it flipped onto the driver's side. It struck the blade of a bulldozer, injuring the bulldozer's operator.
Injury Type : Compound fracture of leg (1 worker); serious injuries (1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Acute care
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007154890105
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

At an acute care facility, a non-worker lost control of a motor vehicle while backing up. The car crashed through the doors of the cafeteria entrance, striking one worker and one non-worker.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730664
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

A worker was trimming a tree when he fell backward approximately 6 feet. He landed on his back on a paved sidewalk.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Delivery of electrical equipment
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007105910214
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

A flatbed truck equipped with a crane was delivering a transformer to a work site for installation. Once the transformer was unloaded, the truck drove off the site without fully retracting the crane's boom. The elevated boom contacted communications lines, snapping off the pole at the butt.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Consulting engineering
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131865
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

One wall of an excavation face moved approximately 4 inches into the 70-foot excavation.
Injury Type : Skull fracture causing loss of consciousness, serious brain swelling, brain injury
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007137290231
Date of Incident : 2007-Aug

Workers were removing trees at a residence. One worker had climbed a tree to top it by cutting blocks and pushing them off the tree so they fell to the ground. A worker on the ground retrieved each dropped block between cuts, a procedure that is inherently hazardous as it relies on worker timing. The coordinated timing of their tasks failed, and the ground worker was in the hazard area when a block of wood was dropped. The block fell 45 feet before striking the worker, who was not wearing a hard hat.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Banking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007137102219
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A person walked into a bank and robbed three tellers.
Injury Type : Spinal injury causing paralysis
Core Activity : Fishing lodge
Location : Northwest BC
ID Number : 2007113820206
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A fishing guide was found semi-conscious on the exposed deck of a ship converted into a fishing lodge. The worker had fallen 23 feet from a deck guarded by a metal guardrail 42 inches high.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs, abrasions to arms
Core Activity : Auto recycling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970399
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A rough-terrain lift truck was removing a vehicle that had been positioned on two sets of concrete blocks to remove fluids from the engine. The vehicle slipped from the extended forks of the lift truck, pinning a young worker against some tires.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries (4 workers); respiratory difficulties from pepper spray (1 worker); undetermined injuries (10 workers)
Core Activity : Acute care
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007138190255
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

Fourteen hospital employees and a security guard sustained a variety of injuries when they were assaulted by an individual brought to the emergency ward by the police.
See a list of resources for preventing violence in the workplace:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/HealthCare/Violence.asp
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installation of lawn irrigation system
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560310
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

An excavator was trenching for installation of a lawn irrigation system when it severed a 1.5-inch natural gas line. The excavator operator misjudged the location of the gas line; it had not been hand located before trenching began.
Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : Landscaping activities
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007105910176
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

Workers had parked their truck on a roadway to carry out landscape work on the centre boulevard. The truck blocked the single lane in one direction. Traffic cones had been positioned to direct oncoming vehicles onto the shoulder to get around the truck. A motorcycle passed the traffic cones and proceeded directly into the zone where the workers and truck were positioned. The operator of the motorcycle died when it collided with the back of the truck.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Vehicle propane/gasoline service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007159480040
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A young worker was about to fill the propane tank of a commercial steam-cleaning vehicle. As filling began, the propane ignited, causing an explosion.
Injury Type : Lacerations and puncture wounds to leg and arm
Core Activity : Forest development work
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160199
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

Five forestry workers were engaged in timber development works when two of them encountered a grizzly bear (estimated to be 2-3 years old). The first worker was attacked and mauled before he was able to drive the bear off by kicking its head with caulked boots. The bear then turned on the other worker, who used bear spray and drove it off.
See some resources for training workers who may encounter bears:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/Forestry/General.asp#Bears
Injury Type : Head trauma, broken ribs, punctured lung
Core Activity : Window cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730597
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A window cleaner working from a ladder fell approximately 12 feet onto a concrete patio. The ladder was not set up with the proper angle at the base.
See "Setting up a ladder" at:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/Construction/ ToolBoxMeetingGuides.asp?reportid=34327
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Security services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007119700166
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A young worker who had been conducting security patrol activities on a construction site could not be located by the next worker coming on duty. The worker's body was later located in a body of water near the construction site.
Injury Type : Broken neck (1 worker); neck and back injuries (1 young worker); multiple fractures of arm (1 young worker); chest contusion (1 young worker)
Core Activity : Travelling between service calls
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136050084
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A vehicle with four workers left the highway and crashed, ending up in the ditch.
Injury Type : Sprained wrist (1 worker); scratches (2 workers)
Core Activity : Acute care
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007095611123
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A psychiatric patient who was being restrained slammed the door on one worker's hand and kicked, scratched, and bit two other workers.
Injury Type : Head injury
Core Activity : Home inspection
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137290172
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A home inspector fell from an elevation of approximately 8 feet. The self-employed owner did not have optional workers' compensation insurance.
See a slide show about WorkSafeBC's personal optional protection:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=33861
Injury Type : Broken leg, back injury, lacerated leg
Core Activity : Operating farm tractor at kennel
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007116120178
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A tractor was moving some yard waste in an area with a slight slope. The owner/operator exited the tractor and was run over. The self-employed owner did not have optional workers' compensation insurance.
See a slide show about WorkSafeBC's personal optional protection:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?ReportID=33861
Injury Type : Bruises and bite marks
Core Activity : Residential care
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520071
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A resident punched and bit a care aide.
Injury Type : Laceration and soft-tissue damage to leg
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560296
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A skid-steer loader was parked in a driveway. The parking brake failed and the loader rolled down the driveway, pinning a young worker against another parked vehicle. The worker was wearing hearing protection and did not hear the machine approaching.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to leg
Core Activity : Auto service or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147280175
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

Workers were attempting to move a pick-up truck that had a defective clutch. As the truck was started, it unexpectedly moved forward, striking a worker and pinning him against a second vehicle.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to hand; amputation of two fingertips
Core Activity : Industrial testing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007090580229
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was using a bar to dislodge a sample jammed in the rolls of a rock crusher. The bar and the worker's hand were pulled between the energized rolls. The worker, who had been doing this job for less than a week, had not received adequate training and supervision in lockout procedures.
Sections 3.22 to 3.25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation deal with training and orientation of new (and young) workers. These sections of the Regulation came into effect on July 26, 2007. A guideline to help implement them is available at:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/OHSRegulation/ GuidelinePart3.asp#SectionNumber:G3.23
Injury Type : Amputated fingertip
Core Activity : Pleasure boat sales and service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117930070
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was picking up a 25-pound hydraulic bottle jack. As he swung the jack up, the tip of one finger was pinched between the carrying handle and the jack's collar ring.
Injury Type : Fractured skull and vertebrae
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730583
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

A worker was cutting a tree (about 8 inches in diameter). As the tree fell, it struck the worker.
Injury Type : Electrical arc flash burns to arms and hands
Core Activity : Public school district
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007156680115
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

An electrician was working in an electrical vault at a school. As he opened an energized 600-volt fuse cabinet, his screwdriver contacted the energized bus, causing an electrical arc flash.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree trimming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670226
Date of Incident : 2007-Jun

While a utility arborist was removing an identified hazard tree, a 25-kV power line was contacted. The utility arborist had been issued a permit assuring the worker that the power lines would not be automatically re-energized if the lines were inadvertently contacted and tripped the circuit. This assurance of no reclose worked as expected.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Amusement park operation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007113830174
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A young worker was assaulted by a supervisor.
Injury Type : Amputation and laceration injuries to several fingers
Core Activity : Sports and entertainment facility
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520067
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker's gloved hand was caught in the outfeed of a vertical auger of an ice resurfacer. The worker had been attempting to remove a build-up of ice.
Injury Type : Torn muscles in legs, abdomen
Core Activity : Climbing, limbing, and sectioning trees
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157600167
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A tree service worker was working about 60 feet up a fir tree (about 3.5 feet in diameter) that was leaning about 30 degrees off the vertical. The worker was secured in place by climbing gear. The fir fell over and the worker rode the tree to the ground.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue damage to legs
Core Activity : Auto sales and service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120129
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was caught between two vehicles inside the garage shop when a vehicle with a manual transmission was started up in gear.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs, punctured lung
Core Activity : Boat repair
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970249
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A fishing vessel was in drydock. For access to the vessel, three planks were laid side by side, crossing from a second-floor walkway to the side of the boat rail. As the worker was walking across the planks, one plank (which was not secured) slipped off the boat rail. The plank and worker fell 10 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to back
Core Activity : Grounds maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007111810126
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A farm-type tractor with a full bucket of soil was descending a steep slope. The machine lost traction on the grassy slope and began to slide. The operator jumped free before the tractor skidded sideways and rolled over.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970267
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A backhoe contacted a 14-kV conductor. The existence of the utility was known, but no locate had been performed before the excavation work began.
Injury Type : Second-degree burns
Core Activity : Medical school
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007134520105
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A technician was embalming a cadaver. The pump delivering the embalming fluid (71% isopropyl alcohol) was not working properly. The technician noticed that fluid had accumulated under the pump. When he switched off the pump, the embalming fluid caught fire. The technician's lab coat also caught fire.
Injury Type : Lacerations to 3 fingers (non-worker)
Core Activity : Trade school
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007147280140
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A student was using a table saw to rip a piece of lumber 8 feet long, 1.5 inches wide, 9/16 of an inch thick. Although the saw was equipped with a blade guard, splitter, and kickback fingers, the student's hand contacted the running blade.
Injury Type : Concussion, facial injuries, lacerations
Core Activity : Heavy equipment, machinery, or parts, sales, service, or repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115520046
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was servicing a skid-steer front-end loader. Both cylinders for the lift arm supports were being replaced at the same time, so the elevated arms were supported by a stand. When the cab protective structure was opened and flipped back, the centre of gravity shifted, causing the rear of the equipment to tip downwards. This caused the lift arms to rise up and then come down toward the cab. The worker in the front section of the machine was struck by the arms. The worker was pinned between the arms and the frame of the loader. The wheels of the equipment had not been blocked from movement. There were no written procedures for removal of the cylinders to ensure that the lift arms were always restrained when elevated.
Read an accident alert about fatal accidents involving skid steer loaders: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=33776
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis and ribs
Core Activity : Supplementary health care
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007129730562
Date of Incident : 2007-May

To let fresh air into an office, a worker stepped out onto the upper landing of a fire escape to prop open the door. The landing was decayed. It gave way and the worker fell approximately 10 feet to grade.
Injury Type : Contusion to the head
Core Activity : Tree services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730563
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker walked beneath a tree being pruned and was struck on the head by a falling branch.
Injury Type : Broken leg and arm, internal injury
Core Activity : Industrial testing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136970121
Date of Incident : 2007-May

At a sawmill, a worker in a confined space inadvertently stepped into an unguarded open hole in the floor. He fell 12 feet and sustained serious injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility tree services
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120139
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker was in the bucket of an aerial lift truck conducting utility tree service work. The boom of the bucket inadvertently contacted a 12.4-kV primary line, tripping a line breaker.
Injury Type : Skull fracture; facial fractures and lacerations
Core Activity : Marine service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007066160048
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A power boat was attempting to tow a stranded pontoon boat from shore. The customer attached the tow line onto a cleat at the front of the pontoon boat. As the power boat started to tug the pontoon boat off the shore, the cleat tore away from the pontoon boat and came toward the power boat. One worker in the power boat escaped injury, but a second worker was hit in the face by the metal cleat, which weighed about 2 pounds.
Injury Type : Crushing injuries to hand
Core Activity : Restaurant operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730556
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a worker prepared pizza dough, one hand was pulled into the nip point of the rollers of a dough press.
Injury Type : Electrical burns to upper body, head laceration
Core Activity : Electrical utilities
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128230135
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A worker opened the front doors of a padmount electrical enclosure to inspect work completed by a subcontractor. During the inspection, the worker sustained electrical burns.
Injury Type : Severe crush injury to foot
Core Activity : Loading excavator onto trailer at rental shop
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007116110152
Date of Incident : 2007-May

As a small excavator was being loaded onto a trailer, it tracked off the ramps and tipped onto its side. The operator's foot was caught between the ROPS canopy and the ground.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Painting preparation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030156
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A nearly-completed residential construction project was being prepared for painting. A worker who was dusting walls and window mouldings fell through a second-floor unguarded floor opening to the tiled floor approximately 11 feet below.
Injury Type : Asbestos-related lung disease (1 worker); exposure to asbestos (3 workers)
Core Activity : Maintenance of grounds and facilities
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007095611089
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

Over a number of years, workers who entered a mechanical room were repeatedly exposed to dust from crumbling old asbestos insulation. One worker is known to have acquired asbestos-related disease; three others were exposed and may develop the disease in future.
Injury Type : Noise exposure (2 workers, 1 non-worker)
Core Activity : Ski hill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007037470182
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A double-primed explosive being placed by a bomb tram zip line became hung up in some branches. The blasting crew retreated to a safe area. The shot went off and a piece of material flew back, landing in the deep snow approximately 30 feet from one of the blasters. This material then blew up.
Injury Type : Fractured leg bones
Core Activity : Landscaping
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970208
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A young worker's leg was pinned between a 3-foot rock wall and a garden shed when the rock wall collapsed.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Landscaping or installation of lawn irrigation system
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155270123
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

On a golf course, an excavator was beginning to excavate a test hole with the assistance of a spotter. The excavator bucket broke through a PVC conduit and pulled out a 10-foot length of 7.2-kV electrical conductor.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Gas service installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155260066
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

Workers were clearing out a trench (gas service line) to perform welding when the backhoe contacted a 220-volt secondary line.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Tire service and repair
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680083
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A tire service technician was re-inflating a new front tire mounted on a crane truck. The tire separated from the one-piece aluminum rim and struck the worker.
View a slide show on tire servicing:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/publications/multimedia/slideshows.asp?reportid=34001
See a manual on large tire servicing:
http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety
/by_topic/assets/pdf/large_vehicle_tire.pdf
Injury Type : Severed spinal cord
Core Activity : Heavy equipment, machinery, or parts sales, service, or repair
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007107970228
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A bulldozer was attempting to drive out of a 40-foot shipping container whose floor was about 18 inches higher than the unloading ramp. Dunnage had not been installed to raise the ramp to the level of the container floor. When the dozer drove out of the container, its front end dropped to the lower unloading ramp. As the dozer tilted, it reached close to the top of the shipping container and pinned the operator against the top sill. The dozer had no cab or canopy because of the limited height of the container.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to lower arm
Core Activity : Constructing a landscape retaining wall
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120081
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A mini-excavator was assisting in the construction of a retaining wall. As the operator (a young worker) swung the excavator bucket in one direction, the retaining wall gave way. The excavator tipped over, landing on the roof of its two-post protective structure. Fortunately, the retaining wall was only 2 feet high at this location and the knuckle of the boom helped to support the upside-down excavator so that the operator escaped with minor injuries.
Injury Type : Fractured skull
Core Activity : Forklift repair and sales
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007154960120
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A hydraulic floor jack was used to raise one side of a forklift to gain access to motor brackets requiring repair. While a worker's head was under it, the forklift suddenly lowered. The forklift had not been secured against inadvertent movement before the worker began maintenance work. The worker had not been adequately trained and supervised in working under an elevated load.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007138190130
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A restaurant was robbed while a young worker was working alone at night.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Service station
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154970184
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A 24-hour gas station was held up by two individuals wielding knives. The attendant was working alone at the time.
Injury Type : Severe injuries to the head
Core Activity : Mobile equipment maintenance
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007154930145
Date of Incident : 2007-Apr

A worker was disassembling a track tensioning component on a tree processor using a cutting torch to remove a steel end fitting from the spring system. The spring parts had not been de-energized and made secure. Energy stored in the large outer spring released, causing large pieces of steel to strike the worker with great force. The worker was working alone in a remote area and was exposed to the cold before he was found and given first aid.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tree falling near power lines
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007152480102
Date of Incident : 2007-Mar

A worker attempted to top a 60-foot-tall cottonwood tree (8-inch diameter). The section being removed fell towards a 25-kV power line and contacted 2 of the 3 phases before falling clear and to the ground.
Injury Type : Amputation of fingertip
Core Activity : Security or patrol services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129730504
Date of Incident : 2007-Mar

A security guard was checking the mechanism of an electric door opener when the motor started. The worker's finger was caught in the nip point of the sprocket and the chain.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra
Core Activity : Avalanche control
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007111080024
Date of Incident : 2007-Mar

As part of his work as a heli-skiing guide, a worker was releasing avalanche zones. He was dragged down the slope by moving snow, fell a vertical distance of 1.5 metres, then slid a further 10 metres down the slope.
Injury Type : Broken foot
Core Activity : Window and gutter cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550073
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

A worker fell approximately 16 feet from a roof with an 8/12 pitch.
Injury Type : Multiple contusions; soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Public school
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007111110039
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

A worker was physically assaulted by a special-needs student.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Acute health care
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007146490117
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

A person entered the admitting office of a hospital through an unlocked door, demanded cash, and indicated that he had a concealed weapon. When no cash was provided, he next attempted to break in to the gift shop, where he encountered a security guard. The guard observed that the would-be-thief had a knife and discouraged him from continuing his break-and-enter attempt. The man shoved the guard, ran from the building, and was arrested soon after.
Injury Type : Shattered vertebra, nerve damage
Core Activity : Snowboard park
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007108490063
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

A snowboarding instructor (a young worker) was testing some jumps. With too much speed, he overshot the landing area, resulting in a fall with very hard impact.
Injury Type : Lacerations and bruising
Core Activity : Call centre
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157580040
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

A worker's family member came to the workplace and was denied access to the worker. The family member smashed through glass doors, entered the workplace, and injured a security guard (a young worker) before being restrained by several employees until the police arrived.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Public school
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007111110045
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

A worker was physically assaulted by a special-needs student who became violently agitated because of inadvertent changes in daily routines.
Injury Type : Exposure to hydrogen sulfide gas (2 workers)
Core Activity : Waste recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007119270014
Date of Incident : 2007-Feb

Two workers were overcome by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas while transferring waste sodium hydrosulfide.
Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Emergency room activity
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007108320006
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

As a triage nurse in an emergency room attempted to obtain information from a patient, she was assaulted by another person.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injuries to chest
Core Activity : Acute care hospital
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007049800568
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

As a protection services worker attempted to restrain a patient, the patient stabbed at his chest with a flatware dinner knife. Fortunately, the worker was wearing a protective vest at the time of the incident and suffered only minor injuries.
Injury Type : Bruising of chest and leg
Core Activity : Truck parts recycling
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007156580019
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

A worker was underneath a truck chassis unbolting the transmission. Meanwhile, another truck that was being driven into the maintenance bay lost its brakes. The driver made several attempts to slow the runaway vehicle, then decided to drive it into the stationary truck chassis, unaware that someone was working under it. The collision knocked the chassis off the jack stands, briefly pinning the worker beneath.
Injury Type : Fractured skull, ribs
Core Activity : Heating equipment service
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007156680018
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

A furnace service technician was walking along a walkway in the mechanical space above the ceiling. When the worker stepped over a ventilation duct blocking the walkway, he landed on a piece of drywall that was covering an access hole. The worker fell through the hole to the ceramic tile floor approximately 3.1 metres below.
Injury Type : Punctured skull
Core Activity : Security alarm installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007105210006
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

A worker was standing on a sawhorse operating a nail gun. As he lowered his arm with the nail gun's trigger mechanism still active, a young worker passed by and underneath him. The nail gun discharged, hitting the young worker in the head.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Property management
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157450004
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

When the inflated roof of a stadium was torn, the building was evacuated and the roof was deflated.
Injury Type : Head laceration, neck strain
Core Activity : Scaffolding rental
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131519
Date of Incident : 2007-Jan

As a scaffold was being moved to another location, a scaffold deck fell approximately 10 feet to the ground, striking a young worker nearby.


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