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Penalties - Primary Resources
Penalties are fines for health and safety violations of the Workers Compensation Act and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. For information on when penalties are considered and how the amount of the penalty is calculated, see the FAQs.
The address given is the location where the violation occurred and is not necessarily the address of the penalized business. The registered business name is given as well as any "doing business as" (DBA) name.
The delay between the date of the penalty and publication of the penalty by WorkSafeBC is partially a result of allowing time for employers and other interested parties to respond to the initial penalty and for the appeal process.
Primary Resources
Recent Penalties
Company: Dakota Contracting Ltd., Dawson Creek 
Classification unit: Integrated forest management
Amount: $25,943
Date of penalty: April 23, 2009
Fatality. This employer failed to adequately supervise a worker in the safe performance of duties, to ensure that equipment was repaired in accordance with manufacturer's instructions, and to shut down all mobile equipment before maintenance.
Prior Penalties in Date Order
Company: RHA Enterprises Ltd., Abbotsford
Classification unit: Farm labour supply or farm services
Amount: $69,801
Date of penalty: January 29, 2009
Three workers were killed and 14 others were injured in a motor vehicle accident involving a farm worker transport vehicle. The vehicle was not equipped with the required number of seatbelts, was not maintained according to the manufacturer's recommendations, and carried two more passengers than the number for which it was designed. Furthermore, the driver of the vehicle did not hold the appropriate licence for transporting these workers.
Company: Jackpine Forest Products Ltd., (Bkr), Williams Lake
Classification unit: Wooden component manufacture (not elsewhere specified)
Amount: $51,618
Date of penalty: May 12, 2008
Failure to provide workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety of those workers in carrying out their work with respect to lockout and the safe operation of the equipment.
Company: Derek Kovacic & John N. Verdonk, Port Mellon
Classification unit: Manual tree falling and bucking
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: May 8, 2008
Before cutting down trees, workers failed to remove dangerously leaning and snagging cedar and hemlock trees in the vicinity, exposing themselves to the risk of being hit by the dangerous trees or their branches. In addition, stumps on the site revealed other unsafe falling practices. This firm also failed to comply with previous orders within a reasonable time.
Company: M & A Greenhouse Services Ltd., Delta
Classification unit: Greenhouse
Amount: $66,858
Date of penalty: March 17, 2008
Multiple violations of the same sections of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and numerous violations of different sections of the Regulation, all indicating a lack of commitment toward compliance with respect to transporting farm workers.
Company: Cougar Crushing & Screening Ltd., 1943 Millstream Road,
Langford
Classification unit: Stone crushing
Amount: $6,286
Date of penalty: December 17, 2007
A worker suffered amputation of his forearm while performing maintenance work
on an operating conveyor belt that was not locked out.
Company: Thibault Logging Ltd., Gold River
Classification unit: Integrated forest management
Amount: $3,579
Date of penalty: December 15, 2008
A mechanized falling machine (feller-buncher) was falling trees within one tree length of an active highway. As well, no signage or traffic control system was in place to warn drivers of the falling activities. The employer was penalized for failing to observe the two tree length rule and for failing to provide the employer's workers with the information, instruction, and supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety of those workers in carrying out their work, and to ensure the health and safety of other workers at that workplace.
Company: H J K Farm Labour Contractor Ltd., Farm vehicle inspection,
Highway 99 and Highway 10, Delta
Classification unit: Farm labour supply or farm services
Amount: $26,848
Date of penalty: December 7, 2007
Inspection of five farm labour transportation vehicles between March 15 and
23, 2007, revealed several deficiencies. Vehicle seats were modified from the
manufacturer's original design and the vehicle-rated capacity was not certified by a professional engineer. Vehicles were not maintained in a condition such that workers were not endangered (e.g., mechanical defects, damaged seat belts, insufficient number of seat belts for occupants). Vehicles were not inspected for mechanical defects and maintained in a roadworthy condition. One vehicle held 17 passengers when there was only seating for 15 passengers based on 41 cm (16") per person calculation. Mechanical defects were not corrected before using the vehicle. Pre-trip inspections were not conducted by the operators. Seat belts were not properly maintained. One vehicle had inoperable emergency exit door. No first aid equipment or insufficient first aid equipment in the vehicles. No fire extinguisher in the vehicles.
Company: Leonard C Lavallee, DBA Len's Catching II, My Friend's Cafe,
Southway Farms, 2623 216 Street, Langley Township
Classification unit: Poultry catching
Amount: $5,753
Date of penalty: October 29, 2007
The employer failed to immediately notify WorkSafeBC of the occurrence of an
accident that resulted in serious injury and subsequent death of a worker. Disturbing the scene of an accident that resulted in serious injury and subsequent death of a worker. Failure to appear before a WorkSafeBC officer to answer questions and provide information, including documents about the accident and subsequent death of a worker when ordered to do so. Failure to cooperate with WorkSafeBC during an investigation into a fatal injury.
Company: Main St. Mining Ltd., Zeballos Lake Hydro Project, Zeballos
Lake, Zeballos
Classification unit: Underground mining
Amount: $3,852
Date of penalty: October 29, 2007
An extensive number of violations regarding mine safety were observed during
an inspection, many of which were repeat violations.
Company: Sanjel Limited Partnership, Buick
Classification unit: Oil or gas field servicing (by means other than service rigs)
Amount: $53,410
Date of penalty: October 16, 2007
Fatality. A worker was killed in the process of venting a CO2 storage unit on a well site.
Company: Sanjel Limited Partnership, Buick
Classification unit: Oil or gas field servicing (by means other than service rigs)
Amount: $53,410
Date of penalty: October 16, 2007
Fatality. A worker was killed in the process of venting a CO2 storage unit on a well site.
Company: Worldwide Seafoods (1997) Ltd., VRN 26903, Triple M. III, Arrow Marine Services, Richmond
Classification unit: Longline and trap fishing
Amount: $7,106
Date of penalty: September 12, 2007
Continued non-compliance in regards to orders issued.
Company: Nabors Canada ULC, DBA Nabors Canada LP, Suncor, C-52-A/93-P-3, Nabors Rig #57, Southwest of Tumbler Ridge
Classification unit: Oil or gas drilling
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: August 27, 2007
Failure to adequately train and instruct workers in the safe performance of their duties and in accordance with manufacturers' instructions, resulting in a worker being fatally crushed by a telescoping lift truck that tilted forward while carrying an overweight load.
Company: LJC Contracting Ltd., Heli-logging site (falling), Black Jack Ridge, Nanaimo Lakes, Nanoose
Classification unit: Manual tree falling and bucking
Amount: $3,250
Date of penalty: July 10, 2007
Failure as an employer to ensure the health and safety of all workers present where the employer's work was being carried out. Failure, as a prime contractor, to establish and maintain a system to ensure compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and Regulation, in the context of forestry operations involving hand falling.
Company: LJC Contracting Ltd., Block HHAM3, Nepah Lagoon, Port McNeill
Classification unit: Manual tree falling and bucking
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: July 10, 2007
The employer did not effectively review the work area before assigning it to a faller, and failed to adequately supervise the faller while working in this area.
Company: Grizzly Logging Ltd., Bone Creek FSR, 15 km, Blue River
Classification unit: Manual tree falling and bucking
Amount: $9,333
Date of penalty: December 8, 2006
Several poor falling practices were observed (cutting off holding wood, low back cuts, falling trees within two tree-lengths of other workers, including a WorkSafeBC officer).
Company: Robert Kenneth Plugoway, DBA Rob Plugoway Contracting, Woodlot 307, Mt. McLennan FSR, 5.5 km, Clearwater
Classification unit: Ground skidding, horse logging, or log loading
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: November 7, 2006
A worker was observed operating a skidder equipped with a rollover protection system while not wearing the provided seat belts. Several stumps were observed with poor falling cuts (such as cut-off holding wood and undercuts that were not completed and cleaned out). It was also observed that work was carried out in proximity to bypassed danger trees.
Company: Island Pacific Logging Ltd., Bamfield Road (Pole #1083), Bamfield
Classification unit: Integrated forest management
Amount: $35,593
Date of penalty: September 2, 2006
Worker was operating machinery that caused a tree to fall onto live power lines; this was in violation of the requirement prohibiting equipment or materials within the limits of approach of a high-voltage power line. This was a high-risk violation.
Company: Malloch Logging Limited, Km 2.5, Killam Bay Mainline, Earls Creek area, Egmont
Classification unit: Integrated forest management
Amount: $10,893
Date of penalty: February 23, 2006
A logging truck overturned after it experienced brake fade. The driver attempted to slow the vehicle by turning it into an embankment. The driver jumped or was ejected from the cab of his truck and died when he was crushed by the load of logs. The brakes on the truck were worn and out of alignment, the truck was loaded beyond the rated braking capacity, and one side of the seat belt had been removed. The firm failed to enforce its own company policies and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requiring both pre- and post-trip inspections of its logging trucks. Regular inspections of equipment were not carried out and workers, particularly drivers, were not supervised to ensure they followed safe work procedures.
Company: Diamond Labour Contracting Ltd., 3100 64 Street (public road), Delta
Classification unit: Farm labour supply or farm services
Amount: $69,185
Date of penalty: January 19, 2006
Failure to ensure the health and safety of workers. Failure to ensure the vehicle is equipped with the required number of seat belts. Failure to provide adequate instructions to the workers.
Company: Artisan Corporation & Ensign Drilling Inc., DBA Ensign Drilling Partnership, Ensign Drilling (Rig 90), Approximately 230 km NE of Fort Nelson
Classification unit: Oil or gas well servicing (by means of service rigs)
Amount: $195,000
Date of penalty: January 10, 2006
Near the start of the busy drilling season, a worker climbed a ladder to remove a steam hose from the top of a tank that was 6 m (20 ft.) high. The worker, who was not wearing fall protection, lost contact with the ladder and fell approximately 5.5 m (18 ft.) to the ground. The worker died from his injuries several days later. This was a high-risk and repeat violation for failure to adequately supervise workers. The firm had received a prior penalty for inadequate supervision.
Company: Basghelh Holdings Ltd., 805 Road off the Shovel
at Km 6, Off Southerland at about Km 30, North of Fort Fraser
Classification unit: Integrated forest management
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: October 25, 2005
The firm failed to remove danger trees that exposed workers to a high risk.
The firm had also had repeat violations for failure to: develop and implement
checking procedures for workers working alone; develop procedures for transporting
injured workers; hold safety meetings before work commences; and provide first
aid.
Company: Christopher P Zacharias,
About 41 Km of the Marilla Forest Service Road, Off 100 Road at Km 159.5 South
of Fraser Lake
Classification unit: Ground skidding, horse logging, or log loading
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: September 28, 2005
The operator of the firm's Ranger Skidder was working on a recently felled side
hill with a slope of about 33 percent and numerous stumps. Due to the steep
slope, there was a high risk of the skidder rolling over if it hit a stump.
Only one-half of the skidder's seat belt was in place. A failure to install
or use seat belts where required by regulation is presumed to be a violation
involving a high risk of serious injury, serious illness, or death.
Company: Swiftwater Contracting Ltd., E12 Block 524, Km 83.5, Cunningham FSR, west of Fort Saint James
Classification unit: Brushing and weeding or tree thinning or spacing
Amount: $3,250
Date of penalty: May 6, 2005
Employer committed a high-risk violation that resulted in the death of a worker employed by K & D Logging Ltd. The violation was Swiftwater Contracting Ltd.'s failure to ensure that all workers were clear of the two-tree length radius of a tree that was being fuelled.
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