Worker dies after being hit by a load that broke free from crane
The funding campaign launched to help bring home the body of a construction worker who died last week has far surpassed its target.
As of 4:30 a.m. EST, the Yuridia Flores gofundme campaign has raised $77,896, far more than the $30,000 it hoped to raise.
Flores died on Wednesday after a crane load fell on her.
The “serious incident” happened around 3 p.m. at an Oakridge Mall work site, said Ashley Gregerson of WorkSafeBC, according to a report from the National Post.
“On Feb. 21, 2024, our mother Yuridia Flores lost her life in a very tragic accident after a crane's load came crashing down at a site located on Oakridge and 41st in Vancouver,” said Flores' son Diego Aguilar Flores in the gofunme campaign he launched to bring her mother’s remains home to Mexico.
“My family and I are very devastated, she was a mother of two, leaving behind a 16 years old son. Yuridia Flores was a lovely daughter, sister, mother, and wife. We are looking for any support to help raise to transport our mother to her natal city of Acapulco Guerrero. We are very grateful for everyone's generosity and support. Our family thanks you.”
Flores' husband on the report of construction worker’s death ‘I wanted it to be a joke’
The construction job was Flores' first job after she finally became a permanent resident of Canada in 2023, after years of trying, according to a CTV News report.
And her common-law husband of eight years, Daniel Hernandez, was also working at the site as a glazer.
On the day of the incident, Hernandez left the site early for an appointment.
“I got a phone call saying Yuridia was hurt or someone was hurt and I needed to go back,” Hernandez said in the report.
“I go there thinking that, like, I wanted it to be a joke. A prank, something like that.”
He arrived at the site and got confirmation of Flores' death. Hernandez then had to pull Diego Aguilar Flores from his soccer practice to deliver the news. Diego’s older sister Ingrid was expected to fly into Vancouver from Mexico, according to the report.
Hernandez said he doesn’t hold anger towards any individuals regarding the tragedy. However, he hopes Flores' death will be a powerful reminder about the need for workplace safety, according to the report.
Wanted: stricter crane safety regulations
Following the incident, the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115, the union representing crane operators in B.C., called for stricter safety regulations for workers, according to a CBC report.
"Clearly, the safety regime isn't what it should be, and we lack the regulations to keep our construction sites safe," Josh Towsley, assistant business manager of the union, said in the report.
Currently, crane operators in the province can work even when on a provisional licence, and the only requirement to gain a provisional licence is to pass an online exam, Towsley said.
There have also been calls for the provincial government to implement mandatory licensing for those who assemble and disassemble tower cranes, he said.
"What I'm calling for is [B.C.] to be a leader in tower crane safety. Unfortunately, we seem to be leading [in] tower crane incidents," Towsley said.
"We fall short of some of the other provinces when it comes to making sure that people are safe on construction sites, and that needs to change."
Towsley’s statement came after Flores’ death, which was the third incident in the last month involving a tower crane in Metro Vancouver that is being investigated by WorkSafeBC.
"Obviously there must be something missing here because we've seen three crane incidents ... this year in B.C. That's not acceptable,” said Harry Bains, the provincial labour minister, according to the CBC report.
"The preliminary investigations show that there might not be very many similarities [in] all three incidences. But I don't want to leave any stone unturned, because workers' health and safety is a number 1 priority."
Bains said he would be working with unions, including the IUOE, on further regulatory changes regarding tower crane operators.
WorkSafeBC is already working to make some changes to its regulations, including requiring employers to submit notices of tower crane assembly ahead of time.
Previously, WorkSafeBC reached out to Canadian Occupational Safety to request the publication of this editorial outlining the work it is doing to improve crane safety in the province.
WorkSafeBC, the Vancouver Police Department and the B.C. Coroner’s Service are investigating Flores’ death.
