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WorkSafeBC

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This update contains details from selected Notice of Incident (NI) reports received by WorkSafeBC. It is intended to alert employers and workers to the types of incidents occurring in their industry.

This information may help you prevent similar accidents in your workplace.

THE NI INFORMATION IS PRELIMINARY AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Incident Summaries - All Sectors

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

2007 October - (updated January 21, 2008)

Incident summaries from other dates
Injury Type : Shock and irregular heartbeat  
Core Activity : Highrise residential construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007118870797
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A young worker was attempting to remove a wooden block-out plug (in the concrete floor) for the interior tower crane electrical service line. The worker was using a pry bar and hammer to remove the plug when he inadvertently contacted the 600-volt line.
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 : Fractured leg  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007140970425
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A logging truck was climbing a hill (8 percent grade) on a public road. Near the top of the hill, the driver missed a shift and the truck stalled. The truck began to slide backwards. The driver jumped from the truck, landing on and fracturing one leg.
Injury Type : Bruising  
Core Activity : Mushroom picking
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007108440062
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A mushroom picker fell through an opening in an elevated wooden walkway and landed on the concrete floor 12 feet below. A support and plank had fallen out of place, and the walkway had not been inspected before it was used.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Production well
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007159010162
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

An explosion occurred inside a large (15-cube) produced water tank on a production well. The tank lid became deformed but no hard materials were expelled. There were no workers at the site at the time. The explosion may have been caused by a flashover (gas buildup and fire).
Injury Type : Broken elbow, contusion to hip  
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007113820335
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A worker was using a propane torch to melt ice on the roof of a wood-frame residential construction project when he fell 18 feet. The worker was not using a fall protection system.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace  
Core Activity : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007158820180
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A robber demanded that a worker hand over cash from the register. The robber left peacefully with the cash. Meanwhile, another worker in the back of the store had seen what was happening and phoned 9-1-1.
Injury Type : Pain in chest and shoulder, numbness in foot  
Core Activity : Concrete formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670324
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A young worker was about 4 feet off the ground, secured to a gang form by a work position belt. He was injured when a gang form (13 feet high by 20 feet long) fell over onto him.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : High-rise tower construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560513
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A tower crane's rigging became entangled with an on-site power pole and the associated guarding. Before the rigging was clear of the obstruction, the operator swung the crane. The rigging contacted the 25-kV power line.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Structural concrete forming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700363
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A shear pin on a flytable leg failed, causing the table to drop out of level. Two rollers were knocked off the thirty-first floor and struck the person-hoist.
Injury Type : Fractured leg  
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137290341
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A roofer fell 12.5 feet from the eaves of a new roof.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to hand  
Core Activity : Dismantling a pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157270317
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A forklift operator was attempting to remove a cable that was hung up on the forklift. When the cable released, the operator's hand was crushed between the cable and the forklift.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560522
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

An excavator contacted a 14.4-kV underground conductor while trenching for drainage around the perimeter of a building. The prime contractor for the site had said there were no utilities in that area.
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 : Broken leg  
Core Activity : High-rise tower formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560515
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A tower crane was offloading a rebar delivery from a flatbed trailer. A swinging bundle of rebar struck a worker on the trailer, who then fell to the ground.
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 : Close call  
Core Activity : Gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007153370265
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A drilling rig crew encountered an unexpected high-pressure gas zone, which resulted in a gas kick to surface. The crew diverted the gas to flare, but the extreme heat generated by the flare then ignited some of the surface equipment, and the high pressure caused the piping in the manifold shack to fail. At that point the rig was evacuated. The fire eventually spread to the drilling rig, causing the blow-out preventer (BOP) to fail and control of the well to be lost. The drilling rig was completely consumed by fire and the well continued to burn.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Equipment hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007144250303
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A truck pulling a lowboy trailer transporting an off-road rock truck lost power while travelling up a steep hill. The driver unloaded the rock truck to lighten the trailer. The rock truck then started to slide down the hill. It went over the low side bank and came to rest on its side.
Injury Type : Amputated finger  
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007140710489
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A worker was called to clear a jammed conveyor. As the worker was assessing the situation from an elevated platform, he slipped and fell toward the conveyor trough. While his hands were resting on the trough, a part of a nearby chute broke away under pressure from jammed material inside. One of his fingers was pinched against the trough.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Excavation for underground utilities
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960337
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A shoring cage at the edge of an excavation inadvertently slid. It ruptured an exposed section of an 8-inch natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Drilling operations
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007144250302
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

During oil/gas well drilling, the drill pipe was being pulled out of the well. The driller operating the lifting equipment was given inaccurate information and misjudged how much pipe had been pulled from the well bore. The upper travel limit switch (crown saver) was set at 3 feet below the crown and did not stop the travelling block from contacting the bumper block below the crown sheaves. The drilling operation was suspended until an engineer had re-certified the rig to continue drilling.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Mechanical pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007140710480
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A wheeled loader was moving snow in a pulp mill yard. Its bucket bumped a lamp pole. The pole fell over onto an energized overhead 230-kV power transmission line, causing the line to trip.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007124490137
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

During a heavy snowfall, a logging truck loaded with short cut-to-length logs was descending a steep, slippery haul road. The truck failed to negotiate the turn at a switchback corner and ran off the road and over the bank. The logs slid forward and over the cab. The bulkhead and cab were damaged, but the driver was not hurt.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Integrated forestry
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160330
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

Two fallers were travelling in a pickup truck when it skidded off a forest service road near a lake. The truck rolled 1.5 times and broke through the ice (4 inches thick) on the lake, ending up partly submerged (half of the box was above ice). One of the workers pushed out the back window and came up from the water/ice for air. He then re-entered the water to free the other worker, who was pinned behind the steering wheel. The two workers walked 8 kilometres in freezing temperatures to a remote natural hot spring, where they kept warm until rescued.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Equipment moving
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160313
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A truck with a crane and trailer combination was transporting two excavators. The boom of one excavator struck the upper superstructure of a metal bridge. Both excavators were ripped from the trailer, the bridge was severely damaged, and a series of collisions occurred among vehicles.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebra  
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007158820174
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A new worker was asked to remove snow from the roof of a residence under construction. As the worker stepped from a ladder onto the first-storey roof, he fell approximately 13 feet to the ground.
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 : Close call  
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560528
Date of Incident : 2007-Jul

A member of the public found an unsecured explosive cartridge on a construction site after working hours.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Fabricating equipment
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007147230077
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A 90-ton overhead bridge crane was carrying a load of 18 tons when contacts within the control pendant fused, causing the operator to lose control of the crane. The emergency stop system was incorrectly wired and became ineffective due to the fusing. As a result, the crane ran through stops and destroyed other machinery until it was slowed down by another overhead crane, giving the operator time to pull the main power disconnect.
Injury Type : Foot contusion
Core Activity : Unloading rail cars
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007156680231
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A worker was operating a conveyor to unload copper slag from a hopper-style rail car. The worker's foot was drawn into an in-running nip point at the unguarded transition roller.
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 : Fatal (1 worker); minor cuts and bruises (1 young worker)
Core Activity : Electrical services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550303
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

Two workers were travelling in a personal vehicle. On a downhill portion of the road, the vehicle went out of control, left the road, travelled down the bank, and hit a tree. One worker died; the other (a young worker) suffered minor injuries.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640470
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A small blast (using 1/4 case of powder) was detonated adjacent to a pre-drilled shear line for a bulk excavation. The loaded holes were double-matted to contain the blast, but nonetheless fly rock covered four cars in dust and small particles. It is believed that a loaded blast hole intersected with the shear line holes and allowed stemming material to enter the shear line hole. The blast gases escaped into the pre-drilled shear line, causing the stemming material and the top ring of the shear line hole to shoot into the surrounding area.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Building pre-fabricated house
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157620333
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A tandem-axle crane truck was loading prefabricated log home panels with the boom extended approximately 52 feet. When the boom was swung 15 feet, the lifting cable contacted a 25-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Crushing injuries to upper body
Core Activity : Operation of a motorized pallet jack
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007140330097
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A young worker was operating a motorized pallet jack when he was caught between the lower horizontal member of storage racking and the carriage of the pallet jack.
Injury Type : Second- and third-degree burns to leg
Core Activity : Manual tree falling and bucking
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136960464
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

A faller sustained serious burns when the fuel ignited as he started his chainsaw.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550295
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

The raised dump box of a 40-ton rock truck contacted a communications line. The tension pulled the hydro pole over, causing the neutral and the single conductor of a 12-kV power line to also contact the dump box.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Grocery store
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136970284
Date of Incident : 2007-Dec

Early in the morning, a person armed with an axe-type tool entered a food market and demanded money and goods. The lone worker did as trained: he gave the robber the money and goods. The robber left the store without physically harming the worker.
Injury Type : Amputated finger  
Core Activity : Gas well drilling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007153370253
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A drilling rig motorhand was injured while repairing a hydraulic leak on a top-drive unit. The driller had lowered the draw works, pinching the worker's hand between the torque tube and the extend-a-frame for the top-drive unit.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007143950331
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A welder was repairing a bent deck plate on the main chip dumper when a spark ignited hydraulic oil and chips in the pit under the dumper. The fire damaged the chip dumper pit and the hydraulic pump room before it was extinguished by the emergency response crew.
Injury Type : Fractured leg  
Core Activity : Dismantling of pulp mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007157270318
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

Two workers were removing a sill beam. When the last bolt was removed, the beam rotated and pinned one worker's leg against the drive gear.
Injury Type : Fatal  
Core Activity : Concrete placing and finishing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007105910285
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was placing concrete in a ground-level sidewalk form, holding a rubber hose from the concrete boom truck. A sudden release of concrete from the hose caused the worker to be thrown backwards. The worker fell to the ground, fatally striking his head on a piece of wood debris.
Injury Type : Lacerations and abrasions to 3 fingers  
Core Activity : Finger-jointed lumber manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007131490338
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker was adjusting the photoelectric eye at the infeed area of a finger-jointing machine. The machine was not locked out, and one hand got caught between the V-belt and pulley(s) on the infeed roll drive unit.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Excavation and site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007161950035
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator was loading loose soil from an excavation into a dump truck. The excavator's bucket contacted and ruptured a natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call  
Core Activity : Excavation and site preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157600306
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

To prepare a site for curb and sidewalk installation, an excavator was removing road surface material. Although the gas main had been located by hand, the corner of the excavator's bucket caught the gas line, and pulled it apart at an expansion joint.
Injury Type : Amputation of end of one finger  
Core Activity : Clearing lumber crossed on transfer chain
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007126770208
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A resaw operator was straightening lumber on the outfeed transfer chain for the sawmill headrig. As he did so, he stepped backwards into a hole and began falling into the mill waste conveyor. The worker reached out and grabbed a roller chain, which pulled his hand around a sprocket.
Injury Type : Puncture wound to chest
Core Activity : House construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007118870772
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

As a young worker repositioned a nail gun, it discharged into his chest.
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 : Soft-tissue injuries to neck, shoulder, wrist; facial injuries
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007161980012
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker was climbing down a frame scaffold erected on the second storey of a house under construction. He fell to the main floor, approximately 16 feet.
Injury Type : Bruising to head and upper body
Core Activity : Tunnel boring
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550291
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was installing shoring on the top side of the tunnel just behind the cutting head of the tunnel-boring machine. A rock fell from the top side of the tunnel, striking the back of the worker's head. The worker tumbled approximately 4 feet.
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 fracture of the leg
Core Activity : Manual tree falling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007157620317
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A faller was bucking an 8-foot-long root wad off an 80-foot-long fir. The log pivoted on a standing tree 33 feet up the log being bucked. The log swung uphill 1.5 feet, striking the faller.
Injury Type : Fractured leg, injured knee
Core Activity : Glass manufacture
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007113830290
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker fell 5 feet from a stocking ladder while trying to remove an 80-pound pallet from an overhead shelf.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Plastic extrusion
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007113830292
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker fell approximately 8 feet from a fixed ladder to the concrete floor below.
Injury Type : Deep bruising of upper body
Core Activity : Excavation for sewer, storm sewer, and utility line installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157520418
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator was repositioning a trench box using chains attached to the engineered lifting points when the chain broke. A section of the broken chain struck a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Commercial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700333
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

As a large precast concrete panel weighing approximately 9.5 tons was being lifted, a 25-pound piece of concrete above one of the lifting anchors released. The piece of concrete landed about 60 feet from the panel.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas station convenience store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050254
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An employee was working alone in the convenience store of a gas station when a robber showed a knife and demanded money. The worker followed safe work procedures and gave the money to the robber, who then left.
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://www2.worksafebc.com/Portals/Forestry/General.asp?ReportID=31831
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Rig move
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007158820164
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

The operator of a 40-ton picker truck was lifting and dragging a wooden mat (approximately 9 feet by 40 feet) across a lease. As the operator attempted to move the mat, the crane boom collapsed above the first cylinder.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Transporting rebar
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157270294
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A rough-terrain forklift was travelling with its boom up, transporting a load of rebar suspended below the forks with a chain. The forklift went down an incline and turned at the same time, causing it to roll over onto its side.
Injury Type : Bruising to both legs
Core Activity : Log processing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007152480306
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was standing on top of an energized pull-through tree delimber, trying to clear a stick that was jammed. The worker slipped and fell onto the actuating roller. The delimber arms closed on the worker's legs, severely bruising them. The worker had less than one week's experience at this task.
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 : 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 : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation and site service installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550264
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator excavating for a lamp standard contacted a 25-kV underground conductor.
Injury Type : Fractured arm
Core Activity : Plastic film extrusion
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158750107
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

As a worker reached into a plastic film winder to tuck and start the next roll of wound plastic, his arm was caught in the winding roll of plastic.
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 : Fractured pelvis, internal injuries
Core Activity : Mobile crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155730632
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

During residential framing, an articulating boom crane was placing a glue-laminated beam on two wood columns. The crane's load-side outrigger had been placed on the lid of a catch-basin. As the crane hoisted the heavy beam, the outrigger punched through the lid. The crane tipped, injuring the operator.
Injury Type : Head wound, dislocated shoulder
Core Activity : Setting up a machine shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155400469
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was removing transport chains from a large square tank on a trailer. He was standing on a stepladder that was folded up and leaned against the tank. As the worker descended the stepladder, its base slid out. The worker fell to the concrete floor 6 feet below, sustaining serious injuries.
See a poster on safe use of stepladders:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/i/publications/StartSafe/ladder/Tip3_Web.htm
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 : Ditch cleaning
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131943
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator was cleaning debris from a ditch when it ruptured a natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Delivery of carbon dioxide
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007095611213
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

The operator of a delivery truck was at a greenhouse filling a tank with carbon dioxide. Due to an error, 3000 kilograms of gas were released.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Low-bed service
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450416
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was pressure-washing a low-bed trailer. He slipped, and his leg was trapped in the structural members of the trailer.
Injury Type : Open fracture of leg, fractured pelvis
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007116110234
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker walking across the yard at a sawmill was struck by a forklift.
Watch a dramatic video that shows how difficult it is for lift truck operators to see pedestrians:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/Multimedia/Videos.asp?ReportID=34542
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 : 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 : Burns to head and hands
Core Activity : Rock processing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160306
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker set up a propane torch to dry moisture under a truck scale. He returned after 2.5 hours to find the torch extinguished. When he re-ignited the torch, an explosion occurred.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Integrated forest management
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158920200
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

The driver of a log truck inadvertently knocked the air system glad hand off while turning around to get loaded. After loading, the driver exited the cab to release the trailer brakes and forgot to set the maxi brakes. When the trailer brakes released, the truck rolled forward 30 metres and then left the road and rolled over on the steep hill.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Low-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007064400028
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A roofer slipped on wet sawdust on the roof of a 2-storey building under construction. It appears that his fall protection system had too much slack, and he fell 20 feet to the ground. Fall protection equipment on the site, as well as training and supervision, were found to be inadequate.
Injury Type : Compression fracture of vertebrae
Core Activity : Warehouse
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007070890105
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

While conducting a safety inspection, a worker saw several pallets straddling an opening (3 feet x 12 feet) in the mezzanine floor of an inactive storage area. To test the integrity and security of the pallets, he stepped on the edge of one pallet. The pallet tipped, and the worker lost his balance and fell through the opening to the concrete floor 10 feet below.
Injury Type : Lacerated finger
Core Activity : Meat cutting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157450160
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker's finger was lacerated by the band saw he was using to cut meat.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Yarding and loading logs
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930268
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A hooktender signalled the grapple yarder operator to cast the yarding grapple (which was flying a choker) towards him so he could choke two logs that had slid away from the yarding area. The grapple struck the hooktender's leg.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installation of self-erecting crane
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450403
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

At a highrise construction site, a new self-erecting crane was being installed. The crane's supplier was assisted by a worker who was not trained to operate a crane. As the worker swung the crane's jib, the load line contacted a 14.4-kV power line. The electrical charge travelled to ground through the pads of the crane.
Injury Type : Concussion
Core Activity : Manufacture of food products
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117930122
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker fell from a 5-step stepladder and struck his head on the cement floor.
Injury Type : Punctured lung
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007117640429
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A loaded logging truck was climbing uphill at low speed on a wide road with a slight corner to the left. The truck left the road, rolled, and slid down an 80 percent side hill. It came to rest on its side approximately 20 metres below the road. The driver was trapped in the truck for approximately 5 hours before being cut from the vehicle.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550253
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator contacted the inboard conductor of the 14-kV overhead power lines.
Injury Type : Severe concussion (1 worker); neck and back strain, bruising (1 young worker); back strain (1 worker)
Core Activity : Mineral exploration
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450401
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A crew transport vehicle with five workers, including one young worker, went out of control and collided with an empty log truck. The loose equipment in the cargo area of the transport vehicle slid forward, injuring workers in the rear seat. The worker in the front passenger seat struck the windshield. Only one of the five workers was wearing a seatbelt.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Framing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030333
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was sheathing a roof 28-30 feet above ground level. The worker slid off the roof and went into free fall for approximately 3 feet before being stopped by his fall arrest equipment.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030332
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was performing roofing activities when he fell 28-30 feet to the ground. He was wearing a fall protection harness but was not connected to a lifeline.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road paving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158880506
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator's bucket ruptured a 1.25-inch natural gas line. Although the gas service was known, the location of the line had not been accurately determined before excavation began.
Injury Type : Head and neck injuries
Core Activity : Site services
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700311
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator was moving material. Its bucket struck a worker who was surveying on the worksite.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550250
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator contacted and damaged a 14-kV underground conductor.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007116270209
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was working alone when an armed person entered the store and demanded cash. The worker, who had been putting garbage away near the rear of the store, retreated to a back room and hid, calling 9-1-1 via a cell phone. The would-be robber left the store.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155270327
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a backhoe was removing turf for the installation of a concrete pad at a bus stop, it ruptured a natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Falling cedar for personal use
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007111970267
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

Workers from a utility company were investigating a reported power outage on a 700-kV line. They found that a cedar tree had fallen over the line. Most of the tree was rotten and it had been cut on private property by a person who did not maintain control of the fall.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Utility maintenance
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007111970275
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A backhoe was excavating a trench to repair a sewer line when it hooked and severed a natural gas line.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road building on dike
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158880503
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator was building a road on top of a river dike. The excavator swung and contacted a 25-kV power line overhead.
Injury Type : Fractured vertebrae
Core Activity : Log home construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007058250478
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker slipped off a log pitch (the wall of a log home) approximately 11 feet above ground level. He fell head first, striking the ground with his shoulder and neck.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Oilfield construction
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007144250292
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker had been cleaning garbage out of the back of a truck. While climbing out of the truck, he grabbed the side rack for support. The rack gave way, and the worker fell to the ground.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Installation of residential water service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157520378
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

While digging to expose a water main for water line tie-in work, a backhoe ruptured an underground gas line. Although utilities had been located and marked before excavating started, the scope used to locate them produced inconclusive readings near an adjacent light standard. The gas company suggests that in such cases readings be taken at a point farther along and, after locating the gas line in that area, trace it back towards the location where the scope reading was inconclusive. This would give the crew a reference point to draw the line through to most accurately determine the location of the underground gas utility.
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 : Close call
Core Activity : Trucking
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007090580385
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A trailer unit carrying 20 tonnes of cement exploded while being offloaded using an air blower system. A rubber cord had been tied onto the pressure relief valve, restricting the safe operation of the valve.
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 : Concussion, neck strain
Core Activity : Wood frame construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160286
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

On a construction site, forms were being stripped from cement columns. One formwork section, about 3.5 feet x 10 feet (weighing 200 pounds), fell away uncontrolled and struck a worker on his hardhat. It then became wedged against the adjacent column, which prevented it from full free-fall.
Injury Type : Head injury, crushing injury to chest
Core Activity : General trucking
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007129920291
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a transport truck braked, its load of four tilt-up panels shifted forward on the flat-deck trailer, injuring and trapping the operator in the cab.
Injury Type : Scratches, bruises
Core Activity : Vineyard
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007113210134
Date of Incident : 2007-May

A farm tractor and sprayer rolled over when the operator tried to make a tight 3-point turn at the end of a road in a vineyard.
Injury Type : Amputation of one fingertip, lacerations to several fingers
Core Activity : Shake and shingle mill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137290335
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker's hand contacted the blade of a running trimmer saw.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Trenching for sewer line
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550294
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A backhoe contacted and broke a 3/4-inch gas line.
Injury Type : Injuries to leg, subsequently requiring amputation
Core Activity : Bailey bridge installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007109910251
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was pinned between a component of a Bailey bridge and an excavator.
Injury Type : Broken bones in leg
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007157380177
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was heading away from the chip shack to collect a chip sample from the sawmill. The path went down a slight incline and was icy, and the worker slipped and fell.
Injury Type : Knife wounds to head and hands
Core Activity : Taxi service
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007130260230
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A customer being dropped off at his destination asked the taxi driver if he could wait a few minutes for another person to bring the money for the taxi fare. While the taxi driver was waiting, the customer, who was in the front passenger seat, attacked him with a knife. The customer demanded money, then fled the scene. The taxi driver was able to call 9-1-1 on his cell phone.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Scaffold erecting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080366
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

The suspension anchorage system for a suspended stairway tower scaffold failed. The stairway tower, which led to and from a deep bulk excavation, dropped approximately 3 feet.
Injury Type : Fractured pelvis, leg
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007137290329
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator was positioning a large concrete lock block (1920 kg) when the block struck a worker.
Injury Type : Temporary loss of consciousness, injuries to shoulder and neck
Core Activity : Warehouse operations
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030359
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was operating a standup forklift reach truck to transfer a pallet of food products. The worker's upper body became pinned between the post of the cab frame and a steel post and shelf of the storage racking.
Injury Type : Broken leg
Core Activity : Masonry
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550293
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker fell approximately 6 feet from a scaffold deck. His leg struck a concrete curb.
Injury Type : Contusions to abdomen, lower back
Core Activity : Commercial building construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007105910286
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

Two workers were in an elevated scissor lift. One worker was operating the controls while the second worker was welding open webbed joists in place. To adjust position for the welder, the operator slowly moved the lift forward. As he moved the throttle, the brake disengaged and the scissor lift lunged backwards. The worker at the controls was pinned between the railing of the scissor lift and the bottom edge of a joist.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Blasting
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550292
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

Fly rock from a blast site struck nearby houses.
Injury Type : Fractured bones and deep abrasions to hand and arm
Core Activity : Process maintenance in plywood mill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930434
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker was trying to clear a process blockage on a veneer line when his arm was caught by the dryer infeed rolls.
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 : Lacerated leg
Core Activity : Pile driving
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560491
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker was using a chainsaw to cut the top off a timber pile that had been driven into the ground. The chainsaw contacted a nearby 6x6-inch piece of dunnage and kicked back, striking the worker's leg. He was not wearing leg protection chaps at the time.
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 : Close call
Core Activity : Hauling bark mulch
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157270295
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A dump truck turned onto a highway at about 50 km/h. The truck slowly tipped onto its side, spilling its load of bark mulch.
Injury Type : Amputation of two fingers
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007140970388
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A young worker was clearing ice/snow/debris from an infeed roll on an edger when the in-running roll caught the worker's glove.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Excavating
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007115131980
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An engineered bulk excavation developed a 12-inch crack approximately 40 feet up from the bottom of the 80-foot excavation. The excavation face was backfilled to stabilize it.
Injury Type : Serious hand injuries
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007111110385
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A hog conveyor had a buildup of cedar bark. To dislodge the debris, the operator placed a pusher block (4x4x20 inches) into the open and moving conveyor, which was not locked out. The block and his hand were caught between the conveyor chain and conveyor frame. The conveyor structure, chain width, and frame sides were not designed for cedar, which has long and stringy fibres. Bark does not build up on this machine when hemlock or fir is processed.
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 : Non-injury
Core Activity : Recycling depot
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007134530174
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

Early in the morning, a worker arrived at work to discover a fire had broken out.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete pumping
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158880529
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A concrete pumper truck was setting up for a concrete pour when the site's self-erecting tower crane swung into the area to perform a lift. The boom of the crane and the boom of the pumper truck collided.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Ranching
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007034450421
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A worker was directing an excavator as it lifted an immersion-style irrigation pump from the well casing. The lift was performed using a synthetic rope sling that was permanently attached to the pump. The sling broke while the pump was suspended, and the pump and attached piping fell onto the worker, fatally injuring him.
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 : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : General retail
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050263
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A robber entered a store and threatened two workers with a knife. The robber left the store after being given cash.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Preparing lot for residential foundation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156240235
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

An excavator was removing soil to prepare a site for building. Its bucket hooked an underground electrical conductor casing, causing the primary conductor to break contact with the pad-mounted transformer approximately 60 metres away. The location of underground utility services had not been accurately determined before excavating began.
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 : Gas bar and convenience store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007116270237
Date of Incident : 2007-Nov

A person with his face covered went into a convenience store and demanded money. He threatened the worker in the store with a knife. The robber did not notice a second worker, who was in the office and who immediately phoned 9-1-1. The threatened worker gave the thief the cash and as soon as the robber left the store, the second worker locked the doors.
Injury Type : Serious leg injuries
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007144250289
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A backhoe was unloading concrete barrier blocks (each weighing 2200 pounds) from a tractor-trailer. Lifting chains were wrapped around a block but when the backhoe lifted the block, the load was not level. The backhoe operator got out of his machine to inform the truck driver that the block needed to be rehooked. As the operator re-entered the backhoe, his coveralls caught the safety lockout lever, releasing it. He then inadvertently contacted a joystick that caused the boom and load to swing. The concrete block struck and injured the truck driver.
Injury Type : Punctured lung, broken ribs and arm, lacerations
Core Activity : Metal-frame building construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158880496
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was on top of a steel beam in a metal frame building. As he repositioned his fall protection lanyard, he slipped and fell 19 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Hypothermia
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158910195
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was working alone, securing a dozer boat to a log boom, when he tripped over the bow line and fell into the river. He was able to grab onto a log from the boom but could not make it out of the water. Co-workers found and rescued him about 10-20 minutes later, when he was showing signs of hypothermia such as shallow breathing and shivering.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Roof preparation
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007155700271
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As workers were preparing steel z-bar for installation on a roof, one 10-foot-long piece started to slide. Attempting to prevent it from sliding off the roof, a worker also slid off the roof.
Injury Type : Carbon monoxide poisoning
Core Activity : Manufactured home production
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007159480097
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A production worker was working inside a modular house unit heated by two propane heaters. After approximately two hours, the worker felt slightly dizzy. He walked out of the modular unit and summoned first aid.
Injury Type : Broken nose, cracked vertebrae
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007154960292
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A young worker started to descend from a steep-slope residential roof via an aluminum ladder fitted with a material hoist. The ladder suddenly buckled at a side rail connection. The worker fell approximately 15 feet to grade. The material hoist ladder was marked "Do not climb."
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Land clearing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750488
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator contacted a 14.4-kV power line. The line snapped and flipped up into a 25-kV line, knocking out power to a large area.
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 : 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 : Broken neck, broken back, fractured pelvis, internal injuries
Core Activity : Siding installation
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007155730596
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was working alone on a frosty 5:12 sloped roof. There was no fall protection available, and he fell approximately 19 feet to the ground.
Injury Type : Fractured kneecap
Core Activity : Mushroom farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007125400226
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker fell 6 feet from a ladder while picking mushrooms.
Injury Type : Smoke inhalation
Core Activity : Application of deck membrane
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560444
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was using a propane torch to dry the surface of a membrane applied to a sundeck when materials ignited. In the ensuing fire, the worker suffered smoke inhalation. A fire extinguisher was not immediately available, and three suites, as well as the roof of the 4-storey apartment building, were damaged.
Injury Type : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Corner store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050262
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A robber entered a corner store and threatened a worker with a knife. The robber left the store after receiving the cash.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Shrimp trap fishing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007139050027
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A shrimp/prawn fishing vessel was hauling shrimp traps in a harbour in rough weather. The vessel took on water and sank, but the three crew members were safely evacuated to a nearby vessel.
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 : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane dismantling
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560442
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

The jib of a tower crane was allowed to partially slew (swing/rotate) during the jacking stage of the crane's disassembly. This is of concern because while the tower is jacked (to remove a section of mast), the centre of gravity shifts from the centre of the tower to the centre of the jack, nearer to the edge of the tower. Rotation of the jib during this manoeuvre upsets the balance and could cause the jib to fall from the tower.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to leg
Core Activity : General trucking and transportation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007070890094
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A truck driver was bent over unloading items from the storage area beneath a flatbed truck. A forklift backed up and struck him.
Injury Type : Fatal (1 worker, 5 non-workers)
Core Activity : Natural gas appliances servicing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007127840037
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was on a service call at an apartment building when he and five other people were murdered.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Tilt-up construction
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120273
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

The bucket of a stationary tractor was being tilted when it struck a tilt-up concrete perimeter wall 6 inches thick, 9.5 feet high, and 30 feet long. The wall fell over, fatally crushing a worker.
Injury Type : Crush injuries to legs
Core Activity : Plywood manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007130570386
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker putting a plastic cover on a lift of plywood took a shortcut and stepped between the incline transfer deck chains. The chains unexpectedly started and the worker's legs were caught between two lifts of plywood and the framework of the jumpskids to a roller deck at the end of the transfer deck.
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 : Close call
Core Activity : Drilling and blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007037470351
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

Fly material from a blast damaged the window of a residence and the windshield of a truck.
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 : Violence in the workplace
Core Activity : Corner store
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007147050261
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A robber entered a store and threatened the lone worker with an explosive device. The robber left when the worker gave him the money.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007114050309
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A young worker was pinned between the moving structural framework of the lefthand arbor assembly (centreline) and a metal column of the canter structural framework.
Injury Type : Inhalation of hog boiler ash particles (3 workers)
Core Activity : Mechanical pulp and paper mill
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007159010134
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

During maintenance activities in a hog boiler room, a large clump of accumulated ash broke free. It fell to the floor, creating a large dust cloud.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Log processing
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007110750480
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A skidder was bringing a turn into the landing. It ran over a stump on the high side and slowly tipped over onto its side.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Operation of truck-mounted crane
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007107970539
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A truck-mounted crane was delivering construction materials. It was being operated by remote control by a worker on the balcony of a second-storey condo. The load of materials was not centred. It slipped off the forks and damaged the bottom two tiers of a 5-tier-high scaffold. Another worker was on top of the scaffold when the incident occurred. This worker was outside of the guard rails but was tied off to a fall protection system.
Injury Type : Broken ankle, hand injuries
Core Activity : Plywood/veneer manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007156160255
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

During a bearing retrofit, a belt pulley popped off the drive shaft. The pulley, which weighed approximately 600 pounds, fell approximately 60 cm (2 feet) and pinned one worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Zinc manufacture
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007111970246
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An operator tried to stop the travel of an overhead crane about 25 m from the end of the rails. Moisture on the rails and the momentum of the crane prevented it from stopping before it collided with a second (maintenance) crane mounted on the same rails.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Dikes and drainage
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550237
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

During brushing operations on a dike, the knuckle of an excavator's boom contacted a 14-kV overhead power line.
Injury Type : Lower back pain
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157560434
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A roofer was stripping an old roofing membrane from a flat roof that had an opening to a small courtyard in the middle of the building. He fell through the roof opening and landed 9.5 feet below.
Injury Type : Penetrating wound to the head
Core Activity : Window installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007152480278
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was bent over picking up small pieces of wood from the ground. The worker stood up just as a co-worker on a sawhorse lowered a pneumatic nail gun from an overhead position. The nail gun's barrel struck the head of the worker on the ground and discharged a single 2.25-inch nail.
Injury Type : Facial laceration
Core Activity : Residential wood frame construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007159110079
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a rolling scaffold was being repositioned, a tool fell from the work platform and struck a worker.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Tower crane operation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117080337
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a tower crane was lowering equipment to street level, its load line contacted an energized cable for transit vehicles.
Injury Type : Broken pelvis
Core Activity : Warehouse operations
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007104270225
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A lift truck (a stand-up reach truck) backed into a nearby worker. The worker was pinned between the lift truck and racking.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Wood-frame construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129160141
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker fell through a large opening in the second floor and landed approximately 13 feet below.
See a hazard alert poster about a similar incident in which a worker was seriously injured:
http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=34669
Injury Type : Broken bone in face, lacerations
Core Activity : Machine shop
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128220158
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A young worker was pressure-testing a combustion component of a helicopter in a test block. He had pressurized the component (head) to 150 psi when the securing bolts failed and the component blew off.
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 : Fatal
Core Activity : Wood remanufacturing
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136050117
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was fatally struck by a 4-foot-long 2x8 that kicked back from a multi-ripsaw.
Injury Type : Fractured ankles
Core Activity : Industrial construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700295
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker lost his footing on a ladder and slid 12 feet down the ladder rails.
Injury Type : Broken shoulder, laceration, bruising
Core Activity : Roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007129160136
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker wearing personal fall protection slipped on the wet surface of an unguarded roof and fell off. His lifeline had too much slack, and he free-fell 13 feet, bouncing off a dormer partway down. His fall was stopped when he was approximately 3 feet above the ground. A lifeline should be adjusted at the rope grab to ensure that the total length is not greater than the distance to the roof edge.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Site surface preparation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700297
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator dug up and severed the primary electrical feed to a building, damaging the high-voltage transformer.
Injury Type : Fractured leg
Core Activity : Concrete formwork
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700296
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a worker was accessing a work platform, a guardrail came loose. The worker fell approximately 12 feet to a concrete slab.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Road construction
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007122700294
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

An excavator snagged and ruptured two underground gas lines.
Injury Type : Crushing injury to hand and fingers
Core Activity : Structural metal product fabrication
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007128220155
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker was operating a CNC punch press. As he reached across the front of the ram to move a sticking plate back into the ram, the machine cycled. His hand was trapped in a pinch point between the top of the ram and the machine housing. There was no point-of-operation safeguarding on the machine.
Injury Type : Soft-tissue injury to ankle
Core Activity : Cutting pipe
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007158880468
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A young worker was using a cutting torch to cut in half a reclaimed pipe pile (120 feet long, 24 inches in diameter). The worker completed half the cut, then moved to the opposite side of the pipe. This put the worker between the pipe being cut and another 24-inch pipe pile yet to be cut. The pipe being cut, which had not been chocked, rolled and struck the worker.
Injury Type : Sore jaw
Core Activity : Gas bar
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007113830252
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A person had been yelling and throwing things in the store of a gas bar. As he exited the store, a young worker followed him to lock the door quickly (the magnetic door was slow to close). The person re-opened the door and punched the worker in the face.
Injury Type : Amputation of fingertip (1 worker); soft-tissue injuries to wrist (1 worker)
Core Activity : Sawmill
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007136900160
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A new debarker was being moved into position on rollers that ride on I-beams. One roller kicked out from under the debarker, causing the debarker to slide off the I-beams. Two workers were caught between the debarker and adjacent machinery.
Injury Type : Amputation of arm
Core Activity : Dairy farming
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007117670292
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker climbed to an access point on a mobile hay baler to clear a buildup of hay from a roller. The PTO (power takeoff) was engaged and the worker's arm was pulled into the equipment.
Injury Type : Fatal
Core Activity : Hobby farm
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007144250286
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A small, older tractor was trying to pull a larger, broken-down tractor equipped with a large bucket. The small tractor was not equipped with a tow hitch or drawbar. A chain was used to support the bucket off the ground; this chain was also attached to the top of the 3-point hitch (for attaching implements) of the tow-tractor. When the large tractor had been pulled forward approximately 100 feet, its bucket dropped and dug into the road. The small tractor, which did not have a cab, flipped upside down, trapping the driver.
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 : Compression fractures of spine, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007124490106
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

On a secondary road, a loaded logging truck was travelling down a short hill as it approached a corner. The truck's steering system failed. The truck travelled across the road into the ditch and rolled.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Truss hoisting
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007154930381
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a truck-mounted crane with a telescoping boom hoisted trusses, it two-blocked. The hoist line was damaged.
Injury Type : Bruised leg
Core Activity : Grapple yarding
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007158930231
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A hooktender was working along the treeline of his setting. The grapple of the yarder hit a log, which then struck the hooktender.
Injury Type : Broken ribs, injury to chest wall
Core Activity : Excavation work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007145130399
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A young worker fell into an excavation and landed on a concrete block 20 feet below.
Injury Type : Concussion; several fractured bones; collapsed lung; internal organ injury
Core Activity : Residential framing
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007097990230
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker fell 3 metres from an unguarded scaffold. He struck the deck below and then fell an additional 4.5 metres to ground. The total fall was 7.5 metres (25 feet).
Injury Type : Compression fracture of spine
Core Activity : Steep-slope roofing
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007113820282
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A decommissioned wooden fire escape was being used as a scaffold. While a young worker was on the fire escape, its wooden steps collapsed under his weight. He fell to the ground, approximately 20 feet below.
Injury Type : Head injury; fractured vertebrae and ribs
Core Activity : Fish hatchery
Location : BC
ID Number : 2007125400218
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker fell from an 8-foot stepladder while changing a tube light.
Injury Type : Close call
Core Activity : Concrete coring
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007155070229
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A concrete coring machine contacted an energized 12-kV conductor. The resulting power outage affected the surrounding area as well as the work site.
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 handheld 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 : Fractured pelvis
Core Activity : Installation of drain pipe
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007157410184
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

Two workers were installing concrete pipe in a trench measuring 190 feet long, 6 feet wide, and 7 feet deep. A 20-foot section of the trench wall failed, burying one of the workers (a young worker) up to his chest. Other workers extracted the worker and called emergency services.
Injury Type : Amputation of one finger, crushing of two fingers
Core Activity : Rock blasting
Location : Central Interior
ID Number : 2007116120258
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

As a worker cleared pieces of rock from around the stationary bit of a rock drill, the drill's shroud dropped down onto his fingers.
Injury Type : Fractured ribs; injuries to arm and ankle
Core Activity : Mechanical work
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007137102260
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A welder was walking in the attic of a commercial building, stepping on trusses approximately 36 inches apart. His foot slipped and he fell through the drywall ceiling and landed on the concrete floor 16 feet below. There was no adequate walkway or work platform.
Injury Type : Fractured arm, leg
Core Activity : Siding installation
Location : Lower Mainland
ID Number : 2007114550219
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker slid off a roof with a 6/12 pitch and fell approximately 18 feet.
Injury Type : Fractured bones, soft-tissue injuries
Core Activity : Log hauling
Location : Northern BC
ID Number : 2007140710374
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

On a forest service road, a loaded logging truck encountered an oncoming pickup truck at a bend. The driver of the logging truck took evasive action, which caused his truck to leave the road and roll onto its side.
Injury Type : Back pain
Core Activity : Residential construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007154960267
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A worker fell 10 feet, 5 inches to grade from a scaffold work platform. The scaffold did not have guardrails and no other fall protection equipment was provided.
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 : Cuts and abrasions to arm
Core Activity : Construction
Location : Vancouver Island
ID Number : 2007120030289
Date of Incident : 2007-Oct

A young worker was sharpening the end of a nail puller with a hand-held angle grinder. The grinder did not have a guard. When the 9-inch grinding disc shattered, shrapnel from the disc struck the worker's arm.
See a hazard alert poster about a similar incident where a worker died: http://www2.worksafebc.com/Publications/posters.asp?ReportID=33277
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.


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