Three employers fined $184K after construction collapse at University of Victoria

WorkSafeBC has fined three Victoria employers for a total of $184,000 following a structural collapse at the University of Victoria that occurred on June 8. Bird Construction GP Limited, Viking Reinforcing and A.R.M. Reinforcing were all fined for “high-risk safety violations.” The collapse happened while a worker was near the top of a rebar tower with two attached walls. WorkSafe BC determined that the structure was not supported according to standing practice, and as a result, when the tower collapsed, the worker was brought down with it. WorkSafeBC also found that there were no written instructions from a professional engineer regarding the bracing of the tower. Bird Construction GP Limited, the prime contractor at the construction site where the collapse occurred, was fined $140,209.70. It was determined that the firm “failed to ensure health and safety activities at the worksite were coordinated.” Viking Reinforcing Ltd. was fined $36,089.65. “The firm failed to ensure that all partially assembled structures were supported as necessary to safely withstand any loads likely to be imposed on them. The firm also failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety,” WorkSafeBC said in a statement. A.R.M. Reinforcing Ltd. was fined $7,742.91 for the same reasons.