More than two years after a 24-year-old worker died near Powell River, WorkSafeBC slapped a $250,000 penalty on Omaha, Nebraska-headquartered Peter Kiewit Infrastructure.
The March 31, 2011, fine was the year’s biggest. Worker Samuel Fitzpatrick of Squamish was fatally struck by a rock estimated to be more than 1.5 metres in diameter on February 22, 2009, on the Toba Inlet run-of-river hydro project. The rock rolled downhill towards Fitzpatrick, who was hand-drilling a boulder to prepare it for blasting.
“The firm allowed work to proceed without first clearing loose material uphill that had the potential to dislodge and inflict injury,” said the WorkSafeBC report, which was published February 28. “Unstable material at the worksite had been repeatedly identified in risk assessments.
The firm failed to provide its workers with adequate instruction and training for the land-clearing work. It also failed to ensure effective supervision at the worksite in spite of the presence of several supervisors.”
“We have requested, and the WCB Review Division is conducting, a review of the matter,” Kiewit external affairs director Thomas Janssen told Business in Vancouver. “While this review is taking place we will not comment.”
Calgary-based Encana Corp. (TSX-ECA) was fined $146,870 for a September 12, 2008, explosion at a well site south of Dawson Creek. One worker was fatally injured and two others suffered hand and face burns when a tank being cleaned of sand and fluid exploded.
“The firm failed to ensure that all ignition sources were eliminated or properly controlled and did not provide an effective means of verifying lockout,” said the report. “Further, it failed to appropriately analyze the risks arising from the work activities and to implement safe work procedures to address the hazards created by the work.”
The third biggest fine levied in 2011 was $139,854 to Vancouver’s Penfolds Roofing for two workers found near the edge of an unguarded roof without fall protection. Lack of fall protection is the leading cause of workplace injuries and deaths in B.C.
Meanwhile, BC Hydro received a trio of $75,000 fines for incidents in Campbell River (unsafe trench), Vancouver (unsafe excavation) and West of Quesnel (non-compliance). The Washington Yachting Group was fined $73,367 (lack of respiratory protection) and Seaspan Ferries Corp. $69,956 (drowning). Francesco Aquilini was fined $62,701 twice for a worker’s serious leg injury and failing to maintain safe farm vehicles at Pitt Meadows blueberry farms. •
