17.84°C Vancouver

Jun 18, 2024 7:48 PM - The Canadian Press

B.C. safety agency moves to cut risks for construction cranes after fatal accidents

Share On
b-c-safety-agency-moves-to-cut-risks-for-construction-cranes-after-fatal-accidents
WorkSafeBC says in a statement that it developed safety plans after bringing together 130 groups and individuals, including tower crane operators, unions, employers, contractors and the B.C. Association for Crane Safety.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

British Columbia's worker safety agency is moving to address "gaps" in construction crane safety after recent accidents, including fatalities.

WorkSafeBC says in a statement that it developed safety plans after bringing together 130 groups and individuals, including tower crane operators, unions, employers, contractors and the B.C. Association for Crane Safety.

It follows a series of incidents and accidents involving tower cranes in B.C., including the death of a worker in Vancouver in February when a load fell on them, and a crane collapse in Kelowna in 2021 that killed five men.

WorkSafe's Todd McDonald says they developed a risk-reduction strategy after the review.

Some of the key recommendations include reviewing the crane operator certification program and exploring how to improve training for supervisors, riggers, operators and those involved in assembling and taking down cranes.

Other suggestions include new regulations to address the frequency of tower crane inspections and increasing the capacity of WorkSafe's crane inspection team.

“With a greater number of cranes operating in increasingly complex work sites, we need to ensure that employers provide the training, supervision and safe work practices needed to keep workers safe in an evolving work environment," McDonald says.

Latest news

one-person-critically-injured-in-road-rage-incident-in-north-vancouver
BCOct 06, 2025

One person critically injured in road rage incident in North Vancouver

RCMP in North Vancouver say a person suffered critical injuries in a road rage incident this weekend. Mounties say they responded after multiple witnesses reported a dispute over merging between a grey Subaru and a white Jeep near Boulevard Crescent and East 21st Street Saturday afternoon. It is alleged that during the interaction, the occupant of the Jeep got out of their vehicle and was hit by the grey Subaru. The victim was taken to hospital in critical condition and police immediately took the driver of the Subaru into custody. The suspect is facing multiple charges and has since been let
AlbertaOct 06, 2025

Alberta teachers say provincewide strike aims to fix underfunded system in crisis

Alberta's teachers are off the job and the head of their union says it's about taking a stand to fix a cycle of underfunding and overcrowding. Jason Schilling says Alberta is failing to adequately fund education, the system is in ``crisis,'' and teachers owe it to students and future students to do what they can to change that. The 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers' Association went on strike as promised this morning to back demands for a better deal. The labour action impacts more than 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate and francophone schools. Premier Daniel
police-investigating-overnight-shooting-at-south-surrey-business
CanadaOct 06, 2025

Police investigating overnight shooting at South Surrey business

Surrey Police Service (SPS) officers are investigating an overnight shots fired incident that has resulted in property damage to a South Surrey business. At about 2:20 am on October 6, 2025, SPS Frontline officers responded to calls of possible shots fired outside a business located in the 2100 block King George Boulevard, Surrey. Upon arrival, SPS officers confirmed that damage to the exterior of the building had been caused by gun shots. The business was closed at the time, no staff were inside, and there were no reports of any injuries. Officers remain on scene and will be examining the ar
alberta-premier-smith-urges-talks-as-alberta-teachers-launch-provincewide-strike
AlbertaOct 06, 2025

Alberta Premier Smith urges talks as Alberta teachers launch provincewide strike

Alberta's teachers are off the job and PremierDanielle Smith is urging them to come back to the bargaining table. Smith, speaking to reporters in Montreal, says the two sides are not far apart and expects fixing classroom complexity issues to be the focus of future talks. The 51,000 members of the Alberta Teachers' Association went on strike as promised this morning to back demands for a better deal. The labour action impacts more than 700,000 students across 2,500 public, separate and francophone schools. The teachers overwhelmingly voted against the government's latest offer, w
three-men-arrested-charged-in-extortion-shooting-in-surrey-b-c-police
CanadaOct 06, 2025

Three men arrested, charged in extortion shooting in Surrey, B.C.: police

Three men have been arrested and charged on shooting allegations that police in Surrey, B.C., say are believed to be linked to an extortion investigation. Police say charges stem from an early-morning shooting on March 27 in a residential area of the city where multiple shots were fired at the home. The service says in a statement that no one was hurt and that its investigation eventually led police to believe the shooting was "related to an ongoing extortion investigation." All three accused are in their twenties and police say Mandeep Gidda, Nirmaandeep Cheema and Arundeep Singh are due to a

Related News