Quick Links
Customer Centres
Download Adobe Reader for free (required to view PDF files)
YW Accidents
2002 Accidents Involving Young Workers
A Notice of Accident (NOA) is a preliminary report of an accident that WCB Prevention officers respond to. The NOA is based on information obtained as soon as possible after the accident but before an investigation into causes has been completed.This update contains details from selected "Notice of Accidents" received by the Prevention Division of the WCB involving young workers.
This information may help you prevent similar accidents in your workplace.
THE NOA INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Injury Type : Injuries to ankles and heels
Core Activity : Oil or gas drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0479
Date of Accident : 2002-Dec
Worker's experience at this task is unknown
During a drilling rig move, a worker was climbing up to the doghouse (small office) over the top of the water tank. When he stepped onto a grating, a hinge pin supporting it broke. The grating gave way and the worker fell into the empty water tank below.
Injury Type : Bruising to head, wrist, leg
Core Activity : Wood framing construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0478
Date of Accident : 2002-Dec
Less than 1 year experience at this task
A worker slid down the wet roof of a new low building and landed on the ground, sustaining minor injuries.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Auto delivery service
Location : Alberta
ID Number : 0477
Date of Accident : 2002-Dec
Less than 6 months experience at this task
A worker's pickup truck was struck by a moose. The vehicle then veered into the opposite lane and was struck by oncoming traffic.
Injury Type : Pain in lower back, headache
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0469
Date of Accident : 2002-Dec
Less than 2 years experience at this task
A worker fell 8 feet from the top of an interior wall while installing wood floor joists.
Injury Type : Bruising to one leg
Core Activity : Helicopter logging
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0456
Date of Accident : 2002-Dec
Less than 1.5 years experience at this task
A worker coiling chokers on a helicopter logging landing was struck by a log being moved by a front end loader.
Injury Type : First-degree burns to face
Core Activity : Automobile wrecking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 0447
Date of Accident : 2002-Nov
Less than 1.5 years experience at this task
A worker was using a cutting torch to remove an exhaust pipe bracket from under a wrecked car when an explosion occurred.
Injury Type : Two amputated fingers, a broken thumb
Core Activity : Food product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0430
Date of Accident : 2002-Nov
A young worker's hand was caught between a guide bar and starwheel in the can infeed compartment of a machine that seals lids onto tin cans.
Injury Type : Severe lacerations and tendon damage to one arm
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0425
Date of Accident : 2002-Nov
A young worker's arm was drawn into a conveyor between the belt and the roller as he unplugged the chipper.
Injury Type : Factured arms, elbow, clavicle, and ribs; loss of skin and tissue
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0416
Date of Accident : 2002-Nov
A worker clearing a jam-up sustained multiple injuries when his clothing became entangled in an unguarded rollcase chain drive sprocket.
Injury Type : Fractured ankle
Core Activity : Greenhouse nursery
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0419
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct
A worker slipped and fell into a shallow trench. A water pipe rolled into the trench and struck the worker's ankle.
Injury Type : Crushing injuries to one arm and hand; partial amputation of one finger
Core Activity : Sawmill and planer
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0407
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct
A young worker was performing sawmill clean-up duties using an air lance to blow down underneath an operating belt conveyor. The air lance became caught in the in-running nip point between an idler roll and the belt, and pulled the worker's arm into the roll along with the air lance.
Injury Type : Paraplegia
Core Activity : Steep slope roofing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 0398
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct
A worker fell off the roof of a building while performing a roofing task.
Injury Type : Crushed tendons and blood vessels in one knee
Core Activity : Vehicle lubrication services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0396
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct
A young worker was injured while servicing a customer's vehicle. During the service, which involved running the engine, the vehicle moved forward, pinning one of the worker's legs between the vehicle and a metal post.
Injury Type : Unconsciousness (1 worker); hyperextended knee (1 worker)
Core Activity : Youth detention centre
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0394
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct
A correctional officer was assaulted (rendered unconscious using a choke hold) and an auxiliary correctional officer was injured during an escape by youth offenders.
Injury Type : Decompression sickness (bends)
Core Activity : Diving (fish farming)
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 0384
Date of Accident : 2002-Oct
A diver suffered decompression sickness following repetitive dives. Defence and Civil Institute of Environmental Medicine table limits were followed for dives and surface interval times.
Injury Type : Leg and arm injuries (2)
Core Activity : Cementing casing (drilled gas well)
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0372
Date of Accident : 2002-Sep
Two workers were using an unrestrained 2-inch rubber hose to bleed down pressure from a cement job (pressurized down hole procedure), on a drilled natural gas well. A sudden increase in pressure caused the workers to lose control of the hose, resulting in the hose whipping around and striking them.
Injury Type : Puncture to foot
Core Activity : Container fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0368
Date of Accident : 2002-Sep
A worker was sanding the cut end of a 45-inch long flat steel bar on a pedestal belt sander. The pointed tip of the bar contacted the belt and was thrown downward where it struck his work boot above the steel toe and penetrated his foot.
Injury Type : Broken jaw
Core Activity : Garbage, debris, industrial waste or recycling material removal
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0401
Date of Accident : 2002-Aug
A young worker, an hour into his first job, stuck his head over the edge of a large steel garbage bin while a second worker was using a winch fitted with wire rope to lift the steel lid. The cable broke, and the lid dropped onto the young worker's head.
Injury Type : One hand broken, one hip bone chipped
Core Activity : Gas plant construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0400
Date of Accident : 2002-Aug
A worker was hit by flying materials when the operator of a crane two-blocked the crane (pulled the lifting block into the crane sheaves).
Injury Type : Soft tissue injury to neck
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0337
Date of Accident : 2002-Aug
A worker acting as a spotter for a stripping crew was struck by a sheet of plywood that fell from 4 floors above.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Land clearing, excavation, or site development
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 0324
Date of Accident : 2002-Aug
A dump truck driver backed his truck over a child who had entered the area behind the truck on a road expansion project.
Injury Type : Facial lacerations
Core Activity : Rebuilding auto parts
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0307
Date of Accident : 2002-Aug
A worker was injured when a metal object was expelled from a hydraulic press.
Injury Type : Partial amputation of 2 fingers
Core Activity : Wood products remanufacturing
Location : South Okanagan / Kootenay
ID Number : 0273
Date of Accident : 2002-Aug
The operator of a precision chop saw amputated part of two fingers on one hand as he was cutting blocks.
Injury Type : Broken leg
Core Activity : Stone cutting, dressing, shaping, or stone product manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0310
Date of Accident : 2002-Jul
A bridge crane was lowering a 1000-lb. slab of granite on edge onto a support rack. The slab fell over and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Eye injury
Core Activity : Wooden truss manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0296
Date of Accident : 2002-Jul
A worker, who was not wearing safety glasses, was using a circular saw to cut a 2 x 4 when the blade hit an embedded staple. The staple penetrated the worker's eye.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Unknown
Location : South Okanagan/Kootenay
ID Number : 0252
Date of Accident : 2002-Jul
The operator of a tractor was crushed when the tractor overturned while carrying a round hay bale up a steep grade.
Injury Type : Injuries to both legs (1 worker), injuries to spine and leg (1 worker)
Core Activity : Painting
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 0248
Date of Accident : 2002-Jul
Two workers were painting from a ladder-jack scaffolding system approximately 20 feet in height. One worker set the base of a 5-foot stepladder on top of the scaffold plank. The worker on this stepladder applied enough force against the scaffolding system that it fell backwards.
Injury Type : Broken arm
Core Activity : Heavy equipment maintenance
Location : South Okanagan / Kootenay
ID Number : 0222
Date of Accident : 2002-Jul
The arm of a mechanic's helper was caught in a running nip point while the worker was adjusting belt tracking on a conveyor.
Injury Type : Second- and third-degree burns to upper body and arms
Core Activity : Restaurant
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0237
Date of Accident : 2002-Jun
A worker slipped while carrying a pot of hot oil.
Injury Type : Amputated fingers
Core Activity : Lumber remanufacturing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 0201
Date of Accident : 2002-Jun
Three of a worker's fingers were amputated while he was operating a manual chopsaw.
Injury Type : Crushing injuries to foot
Core Activity : Freight forwarding
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0198
Date of Accident : 2002-Jun
A worker was attempting to re-position a metal security safe on the forks of a forklift when the safe fell onto his foot.
Injury Type : Lacerated arm
Core Activity : Tree Services
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 0170
Date of Accident : 2002-May
An arborist's arm was seriously lacerated when he slipped while using a chainsaw. The arborist was conducting tree pruning and topping activities at the time and was working in a tree using climbing gear.
Injury Type : Bruising to upper back, neck, head
Core Activity : Siding application
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 0116
Date of Accident : 2002-Apr
Eight workers from various subtrades were helping a framing contractor manually raise a 30' x 9' framed wall on the second floor of a townhouse construction site. Two workers lost control of the wall, which then fell back and injured two other workers helping to raise it.
Injury Type : 1 Fatal, 3 injuries (broken bones, bruises)
Core Activity : Land Clearing, Excavation or Site Development
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 0028
Date of Accident : 2002-Jan
Four workers in a pickup truck were involved in a single-vehicle motor vehicle accident. The truck went into a skid, straddled the side (bull) rail of a single-lane bridge, tipped over the side of the bridge, and came to rest on its roof on the ice of a frozen creek bed.
Other YW Incidents
You can return to the Top of this page