A construction company has been fined $43,359.04 by WorkSafeBC due to a “high-risk and repeated violation” that occurred in Victoria.
WorkSafeBC observed a VPAC Construction Group construction site in Victoria where one of the workers was seen conducting sheeting work on a sloped roof without fall protection in place.
This placed the worker at risk of falling 6.7 metres (22 feet) and the construction company failed to ensure fall protection was being used.
In a news release, WorkSafeBC says the company has filed an appeal of this fine.
According to the safety organization, construction has an injury rate of 3.37 per 100 workers, which is higher than the provincial average of 2.24. In 2021, there were over 7,000 time-loss injuries in construction, with 1,592 being serious injuries.
Failure to use fall protection resulted in 5,893 injuries, including 28 deaths, over the past five years. In 2022, 164 penalties totalling $1,027,997.55 were issued to employers for this cause.
WorkSafeBC says penalty amounts are typically calculated based on the number of employees and the nature of the violation.
A previous version of this story said the company is a Victoria company. In fact, it is a Vancouver-based company with a worksite in Victoria.
Laura Brougham
