WorkSafeBC has handed down more than $85,000 in penalties to four construction companies working on North Shore construction sites for safety violations. All of the fines were related to workers falling or the risk of workers falling – one of the most frequent and most serious causes of workplace injuries in B.C.
The largest fine went to Lane Construction Services Ltd. – $68,479 after a worker fell 4.3 metres (14 feet) through an unsecured floor opening into a below-ground stormwater tank. An inspection found the worker was wearing a fall protection harness but they were not given a lanyard or anchor. It was not the first time Lane had been fined for fall protection violations, according to WorkSafe BC. The firm also failed to ensure a ventilation system was in place to control airborne contaminants. The company has requested a review of the decision.
In February, Dag Masonry faced a fine of $6,950 after an inspector spotted a worker offloading materials from a forklift onto a scaffold more than 5.5 metres or 18 feet off the ground with no guardrails or other fall protection, “a repeated and high-risk violation.”
In March, the worker safety agency issued a $2,500 penalty to Span Canada Enterprises Ltd.
A WorkSafeBC inspector put a stop work order on the contractor’s job site after observing multiple health and safety violations, including deficiencies related to ladder use, excavator use, and a lack of a first aid attendant on site while workers were present, according to the agency.
Also in March, Power Frost AC & Heating Ltd. faced a penalty of $8,490 when a worker was seen working close to the edge of a second-storey balcony about 3.7 metres (12 feet) off the ground with no fall protection, another “repeated and high-risk violation.”
The size of WorkSafeBC’s penalties are in relation the size of the employer’s payroll, the nature of the infraction and whether the employer has been caught with similar violations within the last three years.
In the last five years, the agency has had more than 22,000 claims for workplace falls. Of those, 5,703 resulted in serious injuries and 88 resulted in deaths.
WorkSafeBC imposed 152 administrative penalties totaling more than $1 million in 2024 to employers for violations related to fall protection.
[email protected]
twitter.com/brentrichter
brentrichter.bsky.social
Want to stay updated on North Vancouver and West Vancouver news? Sign up for our free daily newsletter.
