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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In a penalty summary, WorkSafe B.C. said it inspected the site and observed that the crane\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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,\u201d WorkSafeBC\u00a0said. \u201cThis was a repeated and high-risk violation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The penalty is under a 45-day review as requested by the company. Penalty decisions can be appealed to the Workers\u2019 Compensation Appeal Tribunal.<\/p>\n
WorkSafeBC\u00a0said 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.<\/p>\n