Three companies and one society in the Cariboo have been fined for high-risk violations, according to WorkSafeBC.
Peterson Contracting Ltd. was fined $50,721.80 on Feb. 19, 2018 by WorksSafeBC for failing to provide workers with safety information regarding exposed electrical equipment.
The “high-risk” violation fine comes after the company was investigated for an incident involving a front-end loader striking an anchor cable for a utility pole with overhead guy wires, WorkSafeBC noted in the Penalties section of its May/June 2018 magazine.
When the anchor cable was struck, the utility pole broke in half, causing the overhead guy wires to fall across the highway.
Workers dragged the loose guy wires to the opposite side of the highway, contacting the overhead energized high-voltage power lines.
WorkSafeBC said the firm failed to ensure workers maintained a safe clearance from exposed electrical equipment and failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure their health and safety, a repeated violation.
Ryan Bailey, comptroller for Peterson said the incident occurred at the end of last season at the Toop and Carson intersection improvement project on Highway 97 in Williams Lake that is presently underway.
“It happened, we’ve done our investigation and put measures in place so it doesn’t happen again,” Bailey said.
Pioneer Log Homes of British Columbia Ltd. fined
A fine of $84,017.66 was imposed on April 18, 2018 to Pioneer Log Homes of British Columbia after an employee was seriously injured during the removal of scaffolding from a home being dismantled for shipment.
WorkSafeBC noted the worker was in the process of removing a lower component from a cross-member on the scaffold when he was struck by a log post positioned directly behind him. Prior to the incident, WorkSafeBC found, a log post deposited by a tower crane has been left leaning in an upright position against the scaffold, without any bracing in place.
It was also determined the company failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety.
Pioneer Log Homes did not respond to the Tribune’s request for a comment prior to press time.
Mount Timothy Ski Society fined
Mount Timothy Ski Society was also fined $2,500 after a worker was injured while conducting maintenance on a conveyor-style ski lift, WorkSafeBC also noted in its May/June 2018 magazine.
As part of the maintenance, the conveyor belt’s guards were removed to access the belt’s operations while the belt was still rotating,
When the worker standing in the structure housing the machinery leaned over to look for ice buildup on the return roller, he slipped and his arm was caught between the belt and the roller.
During the investigation, WorkSafeBC determined that no written lockout procedures were in place and the machinery had not been locked out or the power turned off as required and the guards were not properly secured.
WorkSafeBC also found there was no signage in the area to alert workers of the hazards.
The failure to provide effective lockout of machinery in order to protect workers and failure to ensure safeguards could not be removed, were high-risk violations WorksSafeBC noted.
Williams Lake Rental Management fined
Williams Lake Rental Management was issued a fine on March 23, 2018 in the amount of $2,500 by WorkSafeBC for a high-risk violation.
Two of its workers were observed wearing full body harnesses while working near the edge of a flat-roofed commercial structure, but they were not secured to available lifelines and were at risk falling 5.3 metres, WorkSafeBC stated.
