WorkSafeBC releases details on four fatal incidents in January

WorkSafeBC has released incident summaries in relation to four fatal workplace accidents in British Columbia.

“Information in incident summaries is preliminary and subject to change,” it said. “Details are edited to protect the privacy of workers involved.”

Avalanche kills 2, injures 1

In January, two heli-skiers and the worker conducting their guided helicopter ski tour were caught in a size 2 avalanche.

The two skiers, who were not employees, were killed. The worker suffered injuries to the lower body. Location:

Security guard killed in fall

In January, a night-shift worker whose task was to patrol the grounds of a workplace did not respond to the employer’s person-check.

The worker was found injured at the bottom of a staircase and later died.

Worker struck by forklift

In January, an operator was travelling in their lift truck to assist another operator with the retrieval of a piece of equipment for maintenance purposes. The travelling forklift went around the other operator’s parked lift truck and inadvertently struck the end of the entrance swing gate.

The end of the gate entered between the mast and the front post of the overhead protection guard, striking the worker. The worker sustained fatal injuries.

Worker falls in elevator shaft

A worker was trying to cross a ramp spanning an elevator shaft when they fell 22 to 25 feet down the shaft to the concrete slab below.

View video below about a construction worker who fell off a stepladder and then through an opening in the floor.