WorkSafeBC fined M.R. Crane Service $164,189 on March 23 in Ladysmith, where the company was operating a tower crane for lifting construction materials.
A Victoria-based crane operator has been hit with a major penalty for what the provincial safety inspector called a repeated high-risk safety violation around electrical wires at an Island job site.
WorkSafeBC fined M.R. Crane Service $164,189 on March 23 in Ladysmith, where the company was operating a tower crane for lifting construction materials.
In a penalty summary, WorkSafe B.C. said it inspected the site and observed that the crane’s zone-limiting device did not include a load limiter that would prevent the crane from coming into contact with the adjacent high-voltage conductors during lifts.
“The firm failed to ensure its crane was equipped with a zone-limiting device that prevented the crane from operating within the minimum approach distance of exposed electrical equipment,” WorkSafeBC said. “This was a repeated and high-risk violation.”
The penalty is under a 45-day review as requested by the company. Penalty decisions can be appealed to the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal.
WorkSafeBC said amendments to occupational health and safety regulations on crane operations came into effect on March 1, 2023, and include the use of zone-limiting devices in tower cranes to prevent movement close to exposed high-voltage electrical equipment or conductors.