Fined $274K for death

A lack of supervision and oversight contributed to the death of a steel worker at a Burnaby warehouse construction project two years ago, according to WorkSafeBC.

First responders were called to 5255 N Fraser Way – the site of a massive warehouse under construction now leased by Amazon – at about 2:30 p.m. on May 23, 2022 for reports of a workplace accident, according information from the Burnaby Fire Department at the time.

The department said a man had fallen and sustained numerous injuries including a skull fracture.

The worker died from his injuries, and both the BC Coroners Service and WorkSafeBC investigated.

'He took three steps'

In June, WorkSafe fined the project's prime contractor, Beedie Construction Ltd., $249,216.71 and the worker's employer, Supermétal Construction Inc., $24,465.77 in relation to the man's death.

The WorkSafe investigation revealed the worker had been wearing a full body harness and shock-absorbing lanyard at the time of the fall, but the equipment wasn’t connected to a lifeline, and no other fall protection was in place, according to a report obtained by the Burnaby NOW through a freedom of information request.

Because the project was behind schedule, Supermétal workers were working on the Victoria Day long weekend with a reduced crew of about 60 workers, two supervisors and one Beedie construction safety officer, the report said.

The worker was seated on a steel beam, 55 feet up, installing bolts into the beams on the highest level of the three-storey, steel-frame structure.

At about 2:25 p.m., he stood up.

"He took three steps on the beam, and, on the last step, the unprotected worker fell to the surface below," stated the report.

No one witnessed the fall, but a worker operating a boom lift below noticed movement on the ground and then could not see the worker up on the beam.

"Within minutes, multiple workers reacted to the incident by contacting 911, providing (the worker) with first aid, and securing the scene," stated the report.

'Serious potential risk'

WorkSafe conducted interviews, reviewed CCTV video footage, examined documents and equipment, and concluded there were multiple issues with the fall protection set-up and equipment in use one the day of the accident.

The worker's equipment was in poor condition, according to the report, and a temporary lifeline had gaps where workers had to unclip to move along beams.

While those issues "exposed workers to serious potential risk," however, WorkSafe concluded they did not contribute to the worker's death because he wasn't using his fall protection.

What did contribute to his death, according to WorkSafe, was a lack of supervision and oversight.

'Unsafe work practices were permitted to develop'

Beedie and Supermétal "often" left it up to workers themselves to adhere to safety procedures and often didn't scrutinize work on the third level of the structure to ensure compliance, according to the report.

"On the day of the incident, checks were only conducted partially up the stair tower that led to the upper levels of the structure," the report stated.

Because of the reduced crew and project delays, Supermétal workers had also been asked to work overtime, and "toolbox talks" (informal safety meetings focusing on safety topics related to specific jobs) didn't happen on the day of the incident, according to the report.

"Supermétal did not have an effective system in place to correct unsafe practices," the report stated. "As a result, unsafe work practices were permitted to develop, such as workers not using fall protection equipment, which exposed workers to the hazard of falls from elevation."

Beedie had also failed to fulfill its responsibilities for worker safety, according to WorkSafe.

The report noted Beedie had approved Supermétal’s fall protection plan, but the plan was deficient.

"Signage was posted by Beedie in areas requiring 100 per cent tie-off, but the firm did not ensure that these areas were properly monitored or that workers complied with the regulation," stated the report. "Beedie's failure to ensure oversight with regard to enforcing fall protection requirements on the worksite contributed to the incident."

Read the full WorkSafeBC report here.