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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 Transportation and Warehousing incidents are available online.

Transportation & Warehousing - Incident Summaries

Transportation & Warehousing incident summaries from other dates

Most recent incidents (updated May 9, 2011)

Injury Type : Concussion, bruising
Core Activity : Chip hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2011140970010
Date of Incident : 2010-Dec

A worker was tarping the load of a chip truck trailer. The worker fell about 18 feet from the top of the trailer into a roadside drainage ditch. The worker was not using a personal fall protection system.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Parcel delivery
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160850346
Date of Incident : 2010-Dec

A worker (delivery driver) delivering parcels parked on the side of the road in front of a residence. The worker was crushed when the delivery truck unexpectedly rolled forward and pinned him against a pickup truck parked in front of the delivery truck. He later died of his injuries.

Injury Type : Exposure to H2S gas
Core Activity : Oilfield hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490162
Date of Incident : 2010-Dec

A worker operating a tank truck (large oilfield truck and trailer used to haul oilfield fluids) opened a vent line attached to the trailer of the unit. The opening of the vent line resulted in the worker being directly exposed to a release of sour vapours (H2S gas) venting from the tank. The worker experienced nausea and dizziness and was transported to hospital for treatment.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Transport trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010147100144
Date of Incident : 2010-Nov

A worker was trying to align a shifted load of 2x8 lumber on a B-train flat deck trailer using a ratchet binder, chains, and an 8-foot-long piece of 4x4 lumber. The worker was struck by an unknown object when the system being used to align the load failed.

Injury Type : Broken leg, hip pain, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Coal transportation
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010158820216
Date of Incident : 2010-Nov

A highway maintenance snow plow was clearing snow on a public highway when it sideswiped a coal truck that had spun out and was parked on a hill. The plow hit the side of the coal truck as its driver was entering the cab.

Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, multiple facial fractures
Core Activity : Garbage disposal
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010159110366
Date of Incident : 2010-Oct

The driver of a roll-off compactor container truck was opening the rear door of a new design of container to dump a load of garbage. The pressure of the load against the door loaded the release handle, and when the driver released the safety latch on the handle, it sprang out, striking him in the face.

Injury Type : Respiratory issues due to toxic fume (2 workers); smoke inhalation (2 workers)
Core Activity : Construction material recycling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010117640590
Date of Incident : 2010-Oct

Four workers, including two young workers, were exposed to smoke and toxic fumes that developed when a piece of treated wood piling jammed in the wood grinder.

Injury Type : Bruising
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010156680109
Date of Incident : 2010-Sep

A worker was struck from behind and pinned against a workstation by a walkie-rider pallet jack.

Injury Type : Fractured foot
Core Activity : Cold storage plant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010113830220
Date of Incident : 2010-Sep

A young worker was training on a stand-up forklift. When it veered towards racking, he jumped off the forklift and caught his foot between the forklift and the racking.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Feed trucking/delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161480379
Date of Incident : 2010-Sep

After making a delivery, a feed delivery truck drove off the property. The truck's stinger delivery arm contacted a neutral wire and a residential power line hanging across the road. The utility pole was pulled down and the power lines landed across the truck. The driver was not injured.

Injury Type : Bruising to both legs
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010154970386
Date of Incident : 2010-Sep

A worker was removing dunnage from the top of a load of 90 mm x 270 mm rough green fir, in preparation for a forklift loading it onto the truck deck. When the forklift dropped the load to the ground, the strapping band broke, and the outside row collapsed onto the worker. The lumber struck the worker's legs, knocking the worker to the ground.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Hauling fill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163710176
Date of Incident : 2010-Aug

A dump truck driven with its box raised contacted a 25-kV power line.

Injury Type : Fatal (non-worker)
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010120030292
Date of Incident : 2010-Aug

A pedestrian tried to cross an open stretch of highway and was struck by an empty gravel truck. The worker driving the truck was not injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Shipping container storage yard
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010156680101
Date of Incident : 2010-Aug

A worker was moving a top pick container handler in a shipping container storage yard, to make repairs on the machine. The machine's mast contacted a 230-kV power line, tripping the circuit. No one was injured.

Injury Type : Injuries to leg and back (1 worker); injuries to leg and shoulder (1 worker)
Core Activity : Ferry service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010118870531
Date of Incident : 2010-Aug

As a ferry approached the terminal, a mechanical problem resulted in a hard landing of the vessel. Several crew members and passengers were injured.

Injury Type : Lacerated leg
Core Activity : Warehouse storage rack installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165830121
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

Two workers were standing a 25-foot-tall warehouse storage rack end frame. One worker was lifting the end frame when it fell to one side and struck the other worker.

Injury Type : Leg injuries
Core Activity : Water hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490096
Date of Accident : 2010-Jul

A B-train truck (truck with 2 trailer units) was hauling water to an oil and gas site when it caught the soft shoulder of a new resource road, resulting in the truck running off the road and rolling onto its side. The driver was pinned under the steering wheel of the truck and had to be extracted by emergency services.

Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Bin removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010156580260
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

A worker was loading a 40-yard bin onto a truck when he realized that a tarp, sitting on the fender, was getting caught. He stopped the bin immediately and attempted to remove the tarp. While he reached between the fender and the bottom of the bin, the bin dropped down, pinning his arm.

Injury Type : Contusions, bruises, lacerations
Core Activity : Fuel transport
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010161740313
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

A fuel truck with a trailer was transporting gasoline on a highway. As the truck rounded a corner, an elk walked onto the road. The truck collided with the elk, lost control, and rolled over the bank on the side of the road. The driver sustained minor injuries.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156240193
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

A B-train-style truck loaded with lumber entered a banked corner. The rear trailer began to tip toward the outside of the roadway. The driver tried to correct the lean by steering toward the opposite ditch, at which point the trailer tipped over, pulling the forward trailer and tractor onto its side on the road surface. The driver was not injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156240189
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

The elevated box of a dump truck contacted a neutral overhead power line on a 25-kV circuit. The neutral line broke as the truck moved forward, and the resulting torque on the support structure caused a cross-arm on the 25-kV primary lines to break.

Injury Type : Crush injuries
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157410171
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

The operator of a delivery truck was pinned between a loading dock and his truck when the truck rolled backwards.

Injury Type : Smoke inhalation, minor burn
Core Activity : Transport truck
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160530185
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

A transport truck failed to negotiate a highway corner and slid down a 25-metre embankment before catching fire.

Injury Type : Fatal (worker); undetermined injuries (non-worker)
Core Activity : Newspaper delivery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010156580245
Date of Incident : 2010-Jul

A newspaper carrier was delivering papers on a rural street in the early morning. His vehicle was parked facing oncoming traffic while he inserted a newspaper into a residential mailbox. An oncoming vehicle struck his parked vehicle head on. The worker died of his injuries; a passenger in the car was also injured.

Injury Type : Minor head injuries, loss of consciousness
Core Activity : Oil field hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010124490095
Date of Accident : 2010-Jul

A mobile picker truck was travelling a resource road when it encountered an unannounced oncoming vehicle (the resource road is a 2-way radio assist road). In manoeuvring to avoid a collision with the oncoming vehicle, the truck entered the ditch and rolled onto its side. The driver was knocked unconscious and suffered minor head injuries.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Ferry service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010161750144
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

While one crew member (davit operator) was placing a rescue boat in its storage cradle, another crew member fell overboard.

Injury Type : Facial laceration
Core Activity : Commercial vehicle operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160530145
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

A commercial vehicle hauling a rock crusher failed to negotiate a corner on the highway. It drove over the edge of the roadway and down an embankment for about 25 metres. The driver of the vehicle was not injured and the other worker in the vehicle sustained only a minor injury.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Mobile equipment
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010154930267
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

An excavator boom contacted a high-voltage primary overhead power line. Power in the area was interrupted, but there were no injuries.

Injury Type : Severe bruising
Core Activity : Scrap car removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163730169
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

A tow truck was removing a scrap car from the back yard of a private residence. The car was being dragged so the tow truck operator worker went under the vehicle to disengage its transmission. Once the transmission was unhooked, the vehicle suddenly rolled forward, crushing the worker under the front of the vehicle. A neighbour who witnessed the incident was able to lift the vehicle off the worker using the tow truck's winch.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Garbage truck operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156240154
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

A refuse truck was turning right on a residential street when the driver noticed downed overhead power lines in the rearview mirror. The driver stopped the truck and radioed for emergency services. The area was secured and the driver exited the truck without injury. Subsequent reports by residents indicate that the overhead lines had been damaged and left hanging the night before but had not been reported.

Injury Type : Scrapes and bruises
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010156680077
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

A semi-trailer truck failed to negotiate a curve on a freeway on-ramp and overturned.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Repairing garbage truck
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010117670429
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

As a worker was repairing a front-loading garbage truck, he was crushed between the body of the truck and the hydraulically operated arm that lifts the garbage bin up over the cab of the truck.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Truck transport
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010147100074
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

The driver of a double tanker truck hauling 50,000 litres of ethanol was fatally injured by a rock that penetrated the top of the truck's cab. The tanker truck eventually came to rest in a ditch about 125 metres down the road from the estimated point of contact. The trailer remained intact and there was no release of the ethanol.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log towing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010147280118
Date of Incident : 2010-Jun

A 30-foot tugboat towing a 3.5-section log boom sank as it approached a sawmill booming ground. As the tug sank, the two crew evacuated onto a sidewinder boat at the booming ground.

Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker, 3 non-workers)
Core Activity : Fixed-wing visual flight rule operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010155610097
Date of Incident : 2010-May

A float plane crash-landed in the ocean just before reaching its destination.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Public ferry service
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010111110263
Date of Incident : 2010-May

The main engine of a large ferry failed, causing the starboard side of the vessel to contact the pier.

Injury Type : Broken foot
Core Activity : Paper recycling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157530188
Date of Incident : 2010-May

A worker exited a recycling truck before it had stopped. He fell in front of the vehicle's mid-span tire and was pinned as the vehicle moved forward.

Injury Type : Shoulder and neck bruising, swelling
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010117670418
Date of Incident : 2010-May

As a truck was being unloaded, a large door frame fell over and struck a worker on the back of the neck.

Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, severe cut to head, cracked vertebra
Core Activity : Recycling depot
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010110750306
Date of Incident : 2010-May

While dumping a roll-off container, a worker opened the container's back door. The door did not swing free so the worker pulled on the chain attached to the door. The door swung open and a piece of timber (about 5 by 12 inches and 8 feet long) slid off the load and struck the worker, knocking him unconscious.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Dock repair and maintenance
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010114550108
Date of Incident : 2010-May

A worker was operating a small forklift on a loading ramp that extended over water. (The ramp is used to load barges, for example.) As the forklift was placing equipment on the ramp, a failure occurred that caused the ramp to drop to one side. The forklift tipped over but remained on the ramp. The forklift operator was later found in the water. (It was later reported that divers found a second forklift in the water at the accident site as well.)

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Forklift operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165630112
Date of Incident : 2010-May

A forklift was moving pallets of flooring tile when the stack (3 high) immediately to the left collapsed. The propane tank at the back of the forklift was crushed. The building was evacuated until the propane had dissipated.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Loading and unloading goods
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010104270084
Date of Incident : 2010-May

The driver of a tractor-trailer unit pulled away from the check-in point into a container yard. A young worker who was positioned between the rear trailer wheels was fatally injured.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dump Truck Operation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010156160102
Date of Incident : 2010-Apr

As a dump truck's box was being raised during unloading, it contacted one phase of a 25-kV power line. The contact lasted less than 5 seconds and resulted in two tires blowing out. The driver remained in the cab until the electrical utility company deemed it safe for him to exit. The truck was isolated for 24 hours to ensure no other residual effects.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Straw/hay hauling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010155400111
Date of Incident : 2010-Apr

Two 32-foot trailers of uncovered dry straw bales burned on a busy roadway. The rear trailer began to burn first, which gave the driver enough time to disconnect the tractor and abandon the trailers. About 300 metres of overhead power and telecommunications lines were damaged and a worksite was evacuated due to smoke. It is not known what caused the fire.

Injury Type : Lacerations to head
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010113820143
Date of Incident : 2010-Apr

A worker was repairing the tailgate of a dump truck when the tailgate struck the worker.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Public transit operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010157520100
Date of Incident : 2010-Apr

A transit bus collided with the side of a concrete commercial building while turning from a parking lot onto the public roadway. The operator died a few weeks later.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Public transit bus
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2010117640236
Date of Incident : 2010-Apr

A tractor-trailer failed to stop at a stop sign and entered the highway making a left turn in front of a public transit bus. The tractor-trailer contacted the right rear tires of the bus, causing the bus to fishtail. The transit operator was able to keep the bus from going into oncoming traffic and it then ended up on an embankment south of the intersection.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tugboat operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010147280089
Date of Incident : 2010-Apr

A 20-foot tugboat became unstable. As it overturned and started to sink, the operator abandoned the vessel and swam to shore.

Injury Type : Fractured pelvis
Core Activity : Loading tractor-trailer
Location : BC
ID Number : 2010126770048
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A forklift was loading the second of five bale units of pulp into a tractor-trailer unit. A load stabilizer bar had been installed between the two five-bale units and the forklift operator was instructed to push the second unit forward. As he did so, the stabilizer bar was ejected from the side fasteners and struck the worker.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Transporting waste
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165810113
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A waste hauling truck and bin, loaded with construction waste, rolled over while turning left.

Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Warehouse operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165830028
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A worker was operating a stand-up rider counterbalanced lift truck when it struck a post. The worker was thrown to the ground.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Garbage removal
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010114550043
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A front end garbage truck struck and broke a concrete utility pole. The pole and lines - including high-voltage lines - landed on the cab and box.

Injury Type : Crush injury to arm
Core Activity : Grain elevator operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010158750058
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

A worker was checking equipment in the bulk bagging building when one arm became caught in the tail pulley of the loading conveyor.

Injury Type : Crush injury to foot
Core Activity : Transporting and storing materials
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010111970080
Date of Incident : 2010-Mar

When a lift truck became stuck on a soft surface, the operator connected the mast to the side rails of a transport truck trailer with a wire rope sling. The transport was positioned perpendicular to the lift truck. The transport driver pulled forward to tow the lift truck. As the lift truck started to move, the operator lifted the forks to prevent them from striking the side of the transport. The lift truck, now being pulled from above its centre of gravity, flopped over onto its side. The operator was trapped under the canopy structure.

Injury Type : Facial injuries
Core Activity : Dump truck operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161480089
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was walking back to his dump truck from a weigh scale. The worker tripped and fell forward into metal stairs.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Wood chip hauling
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010160530045
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A chip truck entered a highway at a road junction. An empty logging truck travelling on the highway had to swerve and drive off the highway to avoid a collision.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Marine container shipping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010117080054
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

A worker was operating the controls of a hydraulic loading ramp over the water when the ramp suddenly collapsed. The worker fell into the water and was later found by divers. (The operating controls are located on the ramp.)

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Boom crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010165810050
Date of Incident : 2010-Feb

While unloading trusses, the boom of a crane, which was extended 63 feet, contacted an energized 14.4-kV overhead power line.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tug and barge operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010122700042
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A tug capsized while towing a 228-foot material barge by a short stay. The tug was held suspended underwater by the stays.

Injury Type : Pain in one side of body (neck, back, arm, shoulder)
Core Activity : Courier and delivery service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010166930028
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A courier was driving to a depot to ship mail when a pickup truck broadsided the driver's side of the vehicle.

Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tug and barge operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161530018
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

While towing a barge, a tug boat experienced difficulties with its abort procedure, designed to free sufficient cable from the towing winch to prevent a tug from capsizing when pulled sideways by the load. The barge subsequently struck the tug, causing the tug to capsize.

Injury Type : Exposure to unknown airborne substance (5 workers)
Core Activity : Unloading refuse into landfill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2010163100022
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A driver unloading a B-train of refuse experienced coughing and dry heaving after opening the doors of the trailer and dumping the load. A short time later, two workers cleaning the tipper area experienced coughing. After the trailer was delivered to the yard, two workers cleaning it also experienced coughing. The workers reported to first aid. The content of the load that caused the health reaction was not identified.

Injury Type : Fractured facial bones
Core Activity : Tug operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010161530005
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

While handling a broken towing bridle at the stern of a tug, a worker was struck in the face by debris.

Injury Type : Broken bones and crush injuries to leg, bruising
Core Activity : Loading lumber onto flatbed trailer
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010166520014
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

As a forklift backed around the rear of a flatbed truck in the early morning, it struck a worker. The worker was knocked to the ground and run over by the back wheel of the forklift.

Injury Type : Exposure to an unidentified hazardous substance
Core Activity : Waste management
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010125290007
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A loader operator at a transfer station experienced difficulties breathing shortly after a waste hauler emptied its load into the pit. The load contained hazardous materials.

Injury Type : Back injury
Core Activity : Unloading goods
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010166520005
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was unloading goods from a 53-foot van trailer. The worker was attempting to manoeuvre large bales of insulation onto the forks of a forklift when his hands tore free of the plastic wrapping, causing him to fall backward off the end of the trailer.

Injury Type : Broken bones, fractured spine, concussion
Core Activity : Unloading goods
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2010163210003
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A young worker was unloading engineered lumber from a flatbed truck. The worker had loosened three of the four fibre belts used to secure the load. While working on the fourth belt, the worker was struck by a bundle of lumber that dislodged.

Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Oilfield fluid hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2010144250024
Date of Incident : 2010-Jan

A worker was found unresponsive at the steering wheel of a tractor-trailer unit that had run off the road. The previous day the worker had been employed in an environment that required wearing an SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) to protect the worker from possible exposure to toxic substances. At the end of the day, the worker had reported feeling nauseated.

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"Transportation & Warehousing" incidents from other dates