WorkSafeBC investigates crane accident at Oakridge in Vancouver

WorkSafeBC says it is investigating a crane accident in Vancouver's Oakridge neighborhood, two days after new provincial regulations for tower cranes came into effect.

A spokesperson said in an email that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was notified of an incident in the 600 block of West 41st Avenue around 2 p.m. PT on Wednesday. The address is the site of the massive redevelopment of Oakridge Park.

WorkSafeBC sent an officer to the site and is investigating what happened. It said it would not release specific details of the incident until the investigation was complete, but no injuries were reported.

It is the latest in a wave of crane accidents at construction sites in the Lower Mainland, including a fatal incident at the Oakridge site in February when a worker was killed after a tower crane dropped its load on a building, which fell onto a person below and the person below killed.

Last week, a mechanical failure of a construction crane led to the temporary closure of surrounding streets and the neighboring VCC-Clark SkyTrain station.

New crane regulations

The new regulations will give WorkSafeBC more information about where and when tower cranes are being used in the province, helping the company ensure they are operated by skilled workers. They came into force on Tuesday.

Under the new regulations, employers must notify WorkSafeBC two weeks before erecting, climbing, repositioning and dismantling tower cranes.

You must also tell the agency when the work will take place, who will be responsible for supervising the work and what qualifications the supervisor has.

Earlier this year, WorkSafeBC conducted a review and consultations to address safety issues following a series of crane incidents. The review resulted in the new regulations as well as a strategy aimed at improving crane safety in British Columbia

The strategy's recommendations include a review of the existing crane operator certification program and expanding the agency's existing crane inspection team.

The fatal incident at Oakridge Park in February remains under investigation by WorkSafeBC.

Through a freedom of information request, CBC News uncovered a series of complaints from workers about safety at the site between January 1, 2023 and February 29, 2024.