Companies fall foul of regulator over maintenance and inspection protocol
WorkSafeBC has penalized two British Columbia employers for violations relating to transport vehicles in the workplace.
Qualified Contractors Ltd. in Surrey was fined $7,093.66 after WorkSafeBC and Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE) found a number of safety deficiencies in the firm's farm worker transport vehicle.
Specifically, they found cargo that wasn’t secured, non-compliant lighting, a cracked windshield and worn tire axles.
(1) Materials, goods, tools or equipment carried in a portion or compartment of a vehicle in which workers are riding must be located and secured to prevent injury to the operator or workers.
(2) If materials, goods, tools or equipment are regularly carried in a worker transportation vehicle there must be a designated area in the vehicle for transporting these items.
According to B.C.’s Occupational Health and Safety Regulation Part 17: Transportation of Workers, materials, goods, tools or equipment carried in a portion or compartment of a vehicle in which workers are riding must be located and secured to prevent injury to the operator or workers.
WorkSafeBC determined a proper pre-trip vehicle inspection hadn’t been conducted, and issued a stop-use order for the vehicle.
“The firm failed to ensure that vehicles used to transport workers were maintained and operated in a safe manner. This was a repeated violation,” according to WorkSafeBC.
B N N Enterprises Ltd. in Pitt Meadows was also fined $5,000.00.
WorkSafeBC previously inspected the firm's worker transportation vehicle and issued a stop-use order for the vehicle until critical repairs were made.
During a follow-up inspection, the agency found that the repairs had not been made and the firm had used the vehicle in violation of the stop-use order. The firm failed to comply with a WorkSafeBC order.
OHS Regulation Part 17 also notes that vehicles used to transport workers must be designed, maintained and operated in a safe manner.
Also, if workers are to travel in a worker transportation vehicle, the employer must ensure that “an inspection of the worker transportation vehicle has been conducted by a qualified person before first use on a work shift” and “any defect which might affect the safety of workers is corrected before the vehicle is used.”
READ MORE: WorkSafeBC also charged two employers in the province over violations related to asbestos in the workplace.
