Vancouver Tower Crane Accident: $1.3M in Fines Issued
Two years after a fatal tower crane accident at Vancouver’s Oakridge Park construction site, WorkSafeBC has issued over CAD 1.3 million in fines. The incident, in which a suspended load fell and killed a worker, highlights serious safety lapses.
EllisDon Corporation was fined approximately CAD 1.2 million, and Newway Concrete Forming about CAD 113,000, for failures in lift planning, risk assessment, ground exclusion zones, and site supervision. The enforcement emphasizes that crane safety accountability extends to contractors and subcontractors, not just crane operators.
Comment: This was not an unpredictable event but a breakdown in basic lifting discipline. Load control, exclusion zones, and supervision are fundamental to tower crane safety — when these systems fail, consequences are immediate and irreversible.
Keywords: Vancouver tower crane accident, WorkSafeBC fines, crane safety, construction site safety