WorkSafeBC has revealed that three Victoria construction companies are being fined a total of $184,000 following a structural collapse that revealed high-risk safety violations.
The site of the structural collapse was on UVic grounds, at 3800 Finnerty Road on June 8th. The incident occurred at the site of a new engineering building, dubbed the High Bay Research and Structures Lab.
Bird Construction, the prime contractor of the site, was one of the three companies fined, and they are liable to pay the lion’s share of the total, with a fine of $140,210.
According to WorkSafeBC, a worker fell with the collapse when it occurred.
This worker was reportedly near the top of a rebar tower with two attached walls, installing hair-pins and removing level bars when the incident took place.
WorkSafeBC has determined that the structure had not been supported adequately and there were no written instructions from a professional engineer regarding the bracing of the tower.
“As prime contractor of a multiple-employer worksite, the firm failed to ensure health and safety activities at the worksite were coordinated,” wrote WorkSafeBC in a media release.
“The firm also failed to ensure that all partially assembled structures were supported as necessary to safely withstand any loads likely to be imposed on them. These were both high-risk violations.”
In addition to Bird Construction receiving a fine, Viking Reinforcing Ltd. is also on the hook for a total of $36,090 and A.R.M Reinforcing Ltd. will have to pay $7,743 for their parts in the incident.
