BC Conservatives calls for broad crane safety reforms from WorkSafeBC

The Conservative Party of British Columbia is calling on the provincial government to step in and direct WorkSafeBC to release its report into the deadly crane collapse incident that happened in 2021.

“Safety is not a partisan issue,” said Conservative labour critic Kiel Giddens, according to a City News report. “We need to all work together to make sure we’re supporting British Columbia workers to get home to their loved ones safely.”

This comes after, last week, the government agency released its findings into the death of Yuridia Flores. Flores lost her life while working at a construction site in Vancouver’s Oakridge neighbourhood in February 2024.

Multiple safety standard violations contributed to her death, according to WorkSafeBC.

In an email to CBC, a WorkSafeBC spokesperson said it is using the findings of the report to determine "appropriate enforcement action." 

Giddens, however, brought up the case of the 2021 crane collapse in Kelowna. Numerous lawsuits have been filed in the said incident, which claimed the lives of workers Chris Vilness, Jared Zook, Brad Zawislak, Patrick Stemmer, and Eric Stemmer.

WorkSafeBC concluded its investigation into the crane collapse in May 2023; however, the findings have not been made public due to an ongoing criminal investigation by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), as Canadian Occupational Safety previously reported. The decision not to make the report public has drawn criticism, including from the United Steelworkers.

“WorkSafe still hasn’t released the report outlining any recommendations or learnings from that serious incident with five fatalities. So that needs to be a priority, that work needs to be a priority,” Giddens told City News.

Previously, Josh Towsley, assistant business manager at the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115, said that the crane incident in Vancouver in 2024 should have served as a “wake-up call”.

“The state of health and safety around tower cranes isn't where it needs to be," Towsley said.

In June 2024, WorkSafeBC released a comprehensive risk-reduction strategy aimed at improving crane safety across B.C. The strategy outlines several key recommendations:

1. Review crane operator certification program: Ensure it supports safe work practices.
2. Improve training: Enhance training and skills for supervisors, riggers, and workers involved in crane operations.
3. Explore employer responsibilities: Consider registration and licensing for employers handling crane assembly, operation, disassembly, or repositioning.
4. Increase inspection team capacity: Bolster the staffing and capacity of WorkSafeBC’s specialized crane inspection team.
5. Develop new regulations: Address the frequency of tower crane inspections.
6. Update occupational health and safety regulation: Ensure regulations meet the needs of complex worksites.
7. Support the BC Association for Crane Safety: Equip the association to effectively service workers and employers in the sector.

WorkSafeBC says it has incorporated key learnings from the investigation following the Kelowna deaths, including for tower crane operation, assembly, disassembly, and repositioning.

“However, WorkSafeBC will not be releasing its investigation report, as the matter is now before the BC Prosecution Service,” a spokesperson from the agency said, according to City News.

B.C. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside said the ministry is already working with WorkSafeBC on the new strategy, according to the report.