Worker near the top of a rebar tower falls to the ground as the structure collapsed
Three construction companies have been fined a total of $184,000 after a WorkSafeBC investigation into a safety incident at the University of Victoria found multiple high-risk violations.
The incident occurred on June 8 during the construction of a new engineering lab, when a worker near the top of a rebar tower fell to the ground as the structure collapsed, reported CBC.
Although the collapse caused traffic closures in the area for several hours, no injuries were reported, according to the report, citing WorkSafeBC.
WorkSafeBC determined that Bird Construction GP Limited, Viking Reinforcing Ltd., and A.R.M. Reinforcing Ltd. were responsible for “high risk safety violations” on the project. The agency stated that the rebar tower “had not been supported according to standing practice and there were no written instructions from a professional engineer regarding the bracing of the tower”.
Bird Construction GP Limited, the prime contractor, was fined $140,209.70 for failing to ensure health and safety activities at the worksite were coordinated, and for failing to ensure that partially assembled structures were properly supported to withstand likely loads. WorkSafeBC described these as “both high-risk violations”.
Viking Reinforcing Ltd. received a penalty of $36,089.65 after WorkSafeBC found it had not ensured that partially assembled structures were adequately supported, and had failed to provide its workers with the necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure their health and safety.
A.R.M. Reinforcing Ltd. was fined $7,742.91 for similar violations.
