Construction incident summaries are based on information obtained as soon as possible after the incidents: they are preliminary and subject to change. Details have been edited to protect workers’ privacy.
A roofing installer was walking on a plywood-sheathed 7:12-sloped roof to reposition the anchor to which their fall protection lifeline was connected. The worker lost their footing, slid down the roof and fell about 18 feet to grade, striking a concrete retaining wall.
Injury Type: Laceration, bruising
Core Activity: Blasting / Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023157560002
A blasting operation was being conducted inside a tunnel. Blast mats were in place at the tunnel’s entrance in a stacked position. A young worker was standing in line with the entrance but about 54 metres back. The worker was struck by a piece of fly material.
Injury Type: Fracture in lower body (1 worker)
Core Activity: Traffic control
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023155270008
A pedestrian (non-worker) entered a work zone marked “do not enter.” A traffic control person trying to address the pedestrian fell into a trench (7 feet 4 inches deep) dug for storm sewer upgrade work.
Injury Type: Fractured leg, injury to upper body
Core Activity: Highway maintenance (routine maintenance of all aspects of a specific section of highway)
Location: Interior B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023194950008
A worker was inspecting a culvert under a highway bridge when they lost their footing and slid 5 metres down the bank of the bridge abutment.
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Blasting / Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair
Location: Northern B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023194080008
At a blasting site, an excavator struck and severed an initiation line. The blasters immediately held a safety stand-down and notified WorkSafeBC.
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Crane operation / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction / Structural concrete forming
Location: Interior B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023158880007
A self-erecting tower crane was being used to move material on a site. The crane’s chain slings contacted an energized 14.4 kV overhead conductor. The utility owner freed the chain slings from the overhead conductor and restored power.
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Window or glass installation, replacement, or repair
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023186430007
Two workers were stranded inside an exterior permanent powered platform when it malfunctioned and stopped working. The workers were rescued by emergency crews.
Injury Type: Injuries to hand
Core Activity: General labour supply / Garbage, debris, industrial waste, or recyclable material removal / Building material wholesale
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023161920004
A worker sustained injuries to one hand when they reached into a plastic waste shredder.
Injury Type: Fractured leg
Core Activity: Commercial refrigeration or commercial air conditioning work
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Mar
ID Number: 2023196540011
A worker performing work on the flat roof of a supermarket slipped on ice. As the worker fell to the surface of the roof, one of their legs hit a metal structure.
Injury Type: Burns (2 workers)
Core Activity: Paving services or asphalt manufacture
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023154970006
Two workers were contacted by hot liquid asphalt (150 degrees Celsius) while releasing a still-charged hose filled with bitumen.
Injury Type: Fractures, injury to upper body
Core Activity: Framing or residential forming / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023188270002
A worker was installing a 2×6 on the top plate of an exterior wall from an 8-foot stepladder. After the 2×6 had been placed on the top plate, it fell off of the wall and struck the worker’s ladder. This resulted in the worker falling from the ladder and striking the concrete deck below.
Injury Type: Fatal (1 worker)
Core Activity: Scaffolding, tent, staging, or display booth rental and installation / General trucking
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023189840003
On a highway, a flatbed truck rear-ended a stationary semi-truck-and-trailer unit. The worker driving the flatbed truck was fatally injured.
Injury Type: Lower body fracture (1 worker); Injury to fingers (1 worker)
Core Activity: Bridge construction or repair / Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair
Location: Interior B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023166950012
A 50-metre-long temporary bridge was being demobilized. Workers were loading concrete locking blocks onto the bridge as a counterweight before pulling the bridge. They placed 36 blocks on the bridge. The bridge shifted and the deck, blocks, and two workers who were on the bridge slid off the bridge superstructure.
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Excavation operation
Location: Vancouver Island/Coastal B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023186470004
During trenching activities for a water line improvement project, gas lines were found that weren’t in the locate document obtained through BC 1 Call. The utility owner was not contacted to investigate the issue of the unidentified gas lines. Initially the crew used a low-impact vacuum truck to move material, but the truck became full and while it was gone, the crew used an excavator to continue the work. The excavator’s bucket severed a 3-inch natural gas line, resulting in an uncontrolled release of natural gas. The employer contacted the utility provider and emergency services, and the area was evacuated until determined to be safe for re-entry.
Injury Type: Concussion and other injuries (2 workers); Concussion (1 worker); Back injury (1 worker)
Core Activity: Concrete pumping / Structural concrete construction or repair / Electric utilities
Location: Northern B.C.
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023178760003
During concrete placement at a construction site, the temporary hoarding collapsed and struck four workers.
Injury Type: Undetermined injury (1 worker)
Core Activity: Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction / Construction labour supply
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Feb
ID Number: 2023182130005
A young worker working in a concrete footing was struck by a sheet of 3/4-inch plywood that another worker dropped (from 6 to 8 feet above).
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Structural concrete forming / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan
ID Number: 2023165410005
As a fly table was being lowered on level 31 of a highrise under construction, a worker released the leg-locking pin. The leg (2 by 2 inches, 54 inches long; weighing about 30 pounds) then fell and landed on ground level in a barricaded danger zone near two large, unprotected tanks containing 2,000 gallons of propane. No injuries were reported.
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Excavator operation / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan
ID Number: 2023182130004
An excavator was moving a pipe (about 18 inches in diameter and 25 feet long). As the pipe was being placed, it shifted and rolled about 8 feet, striking the portable washrooms adjacent to the area. The area was closed off to all workers at the time and a control zone was in place.
Injury Type: Injuries to upper body
Core Activity: Masonry / Industrial, commercial, institutional, or highrise residential contracting or construction
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2023-Jan
ID Number: 2023165370005
While installing bricks from a sawhorse, a worker fell (4 feet).
Injury Type: Close call
Core Activity: Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair
Location: Lower Mainland
Date of Incident: 2022-Dec
ID Number: 2023165410009
A worker was operating an elevating work platform on a barge when the barge tipped and the work platform slid into the ocean. The worker was able to quickly disconnect their fall protection system from the platform and jump into the ocean. The work platform sank 60 to 80 feet.
Injury Type: Injuries to upper body
Core Activity: Cellular, microwave, radar, or transmission tower erection, installation, service, or repair / Oil or gas pipeline construction or repair
Location: Northern B.C.
Date of Incident: 2022-Sep
ID Number: 2022160670020
A worker was engaged in rock scaling on a gentle slope, using a scaling bar. Upon release of a cluster of rocks, the worker lost their footing and slipped down a small rock face (3 to 4 feet high) with the cluster. A large boulder (2 by 4 feet) then struck the worker.
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