Regulator looking to create new safety initiatives and regulatory measures to improve crane safety
Yet another crane incident took place in British Columbia earlier this week.
On Monday, 12:40 p.m. PT., WorkSafeBC was notified of a crane-related incident at a construction site in Metro Vancouver, CBC reported.
The incident happened on the 2600-block of Victoria Drive, according to the report.
A WorkSafeBC prevention officer and an engineer visited the site, and issued stop-use orders for the crane and part of the worksite.
No injuries were reported related to the incident, and the government agency did not provide further details.
However, when Josh Towsley – assistant business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 115 – visited the work site Tuesday morning, he found the boom of the crane lying flat against the tower, according to CBC.
"We know very little about it," he said about the incident, adding that he believes the investigation could take several weeks or months.
There has been a series of incidents in Metro Vancouver that have involved cranes in the past few weeks.
Weeks ago, a crane dropped its load onto a building under construction in Vancuover's Oakridge neighbourhood in British Columbia, and one person died. The funding campaign launched to help bring home the body of the construction worker who died from that incident surpassed its target.
Also, in late January, two separate crane incidents occurred in Metro Vancouver within a week of each other.
According to WorkSafeBC, between 2019 and 2023, there were 22 incidents involving tower cranes in B.C., including a catastrophic failure in Kelowna in 2021 that claimed the lives of five workers.
Recently, the Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit has concluded its investigation into the Kelowna crane collapse in 2021, and recommended criminal negligence charges.
New crane safety initiatives and regulatory measures
Now, WorkSafeBC is looking to work with stakeholders to advance new safety initiatives and regulatory measures to improve crane safety in B.C.
On Monday, the agency and BC Crane Safety met with crane employers and the IUOE Local 115 to discuss a proposed regulation that will require employers to submit a Notice of Project for tower crane erection, climbing, repositioning, and dismantling.
In the next few weeks, WorkSafeBC will be convening a meeting with industry and labour to communicate its current and planned initiatives on crane safety. The agency will also gather additional perspectives on work that can be done to improve crane safety in B.C., along with its prioritization.
“We are constantly assessing areas of risk in the workplace and the measures in place to prevent workplace injuries,” said Todd McDonald, head of prevention services at WorkSafeBC. “We monitor for industry trends and serious crane incidents around the world, and we are working with industry and workers to ensure B.C. has the right controls in place to keep workers safe.”
