Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
National

Son dies in 2021 BC crane tragedy

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 27 Feb, 2024 05:39 PM
  • Son dies in 2021 BC crane tragedy

When Chris Vilness heard about the crane accident that killed a construction worker in Vancouver last week, he was angry, and he didn't have to imagine what the woman's family was going through.

In 2021, his son Cailen was among five men killed when a crane that was being dismantled collapsed in Kelowna, B.C.

“That's so unfair for that family to have to go through something a lot similar to what we did," he said in an interview. "It’s terrible, it’s not something you can even explain, and once you have got the call or you have read the text, there is no turning back." 

The deadly Vancouver accident, in which a load fell from a crane onto the worker below at the massive Oakridge Mall development last Wednesday, was one of three high-profile crane incidents in Metro Vancouver in just over a month.

The crane accidents have prompted calls from Vilness and a union representing crane workers for better enforcement of existing safety rules surrounding cranes and new regulations governing their assembly and dismantlement.

The provincial government says safety changes are in the works, and could be announced in the next few months.

“It's insane to me that in this day and age, we're still seeing this stuff happen. I could see people's lives that are at stake,” said Vilness, who has spent 32 years in the construction industry himself.

He said his wish for this year is that everybody who works on a crane or at a construction site is able to make it home safely. 

“I hope that no other families have to go through what we and the (Oakridge) worker’s family is now going through. I would love to see some regulatory decisions made for the crane industry or any industry that has high-risk work,” said Vilness. 

Josh Towsley, an assistant business manager at the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 115, said three incidents involving crane towers within a month is "concerning."

“I think it speaks to the fact that the safety regime in tower cranes isn’t where we need it to be and where the public would expect it to be,” said Towsley. 

On Jan. 26, a section of Lougheed Highway in Burnaby was temporarily shut down when a crane collapsed and dangled from a highrise tower under construction. Four days later, a crane at a site in Surrey appeared to partially collapse. 

WorkSafeBC, the provincial compensation and safety authority, said it was investigating both incidents.

The Oakridge site has about 1,700 construction workers, but operations have been halted by WorkSafeBC while it looks into the cause.

WorkSafeBC said in an emailed response to questions about 350 tower cranes in operation in B.C., and there have been 22 incidents involving such equipment from 2019 to 2023.

B.C. Labour Minister Harry Bains said in an interview on Tuesday that the three recent crane incidents were a “stark reminder” about the importance of workplace safety.

“It is heartbreaking that three incidents involving tower cranes happened in the first few months of this year … I certainly believe that all accidents, workplace incidents, are preventable, injuries and deaths are preventable,” said Bains.

He said WorkSafeBC and BC Crane Safety, a regional authority responsible for operator certification, will get stakeholders together to discuss if there are gaps in crane tower training and how to fix them.

Bains said WorkSafeBC had been looking at regulation changes around tower crane safety since last year after the 2021 crane collapse in Kelowna, and he expected the agency's board of directors to introduce changes this spring.

Towsley said it was important to ensure existing regulations are properly enforced and new rules be developed, particularly around the erection and dismantling of tower cranes. 

In B.C., all crane operators must have a valid operator’s certificate under WorkSafeBC’s regulations, but dismantling a crane doesn't require one. 

Towsley said companies can lease a tower crane and subcontract its operation to someone with a provisional license, which could be obtained by answering an online multiple-choice test.

“So, we have some concerns around that,” said Towsley, referring to the licensing standards. 

He said some crews and companies did a great job with training, but others “fell short” of expectations. 

“We can't have three incidents in a month ... it's time we got together as an industry and made sure that we take the steps so that workers and the public have confidence in our industry again,” said Towsley. 

Vilness said he believed crashes like the one that killed his son “could have been completely preventable” if there was proper training and “a set standard in place” for dismantling or assembling a crane. 

Over the years, he's questioned whether Cailen received proper training before being sent hundreds of feet above the ground to dismantle the crane, something in which his son had no related experience. 

RCMP said last week that it had asked prosecutors to consider criminal charges over the collapse. Kelowna Mounties said a report had been submitted "for charge assessment for criminal negligence causing death."

“If there are procedures that people have to be trained and qualified before July 12, this never would happen. These other crane accidents never would happen,” said Vilness, referring to the date of the 2021 collapse.

He said Cailen had a heart of gold, a great sense of humour, and was the “glue of the family,” that included his three sisters and two brothers.

“You can never overcome the grief … Cailen is on my mind every second of every single day. We all miss him terribly,” said Vilness. 

 

MORE National ARTICLES

B.C.'s $36-billion hydro plan opens clean power economic opportunities, says premier

B.C.'s $36-billion hydro plan opens clean power economic opportunities, says premier
Premier David Eby says a planned 10-year, $36 billion expansion of British Columbia's electrical system will open economic opportunities and ensure ample power to supply the province's growing population. It's a 50 per cent increase in capital project investments by BC Hydro, the province's public energy utility, which Eby says will focus on increasing electrification and operations that reduce emissions across the province.

B.C.'s $36-billion hydro plan opens clean power economic opportunities, says premier

Canada watching for UN court decision on Israel and genocide, Trudeau says

Canada watching for UN court decision on Israel and genocide, Trudeau says
Canada supports the International Court of Justice and is "watching carefully" as it deliberates on an allegation of genocide against Israel, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday. But he would not indicate whether Canada agrees with the allegation, or even if Canada would recognize the court's ruling if it does find Israel to be guilty of genocide.    

Canada watching for UN court decision on Israel and genocide, Trudeau says

Driver hurt after car plunges from multi-storey parking lot at UBC

Driver hurt after car plunges from multi-storey parking lot at UBC
A driver has been rescued after their car plunged through a concrete wall in a multi-storey parking lot at the University of British Columbia. Matthew Trudeau with the Vancouver Fire Rescue Service says 10 emergency vehicles responded to a call to the campus around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Driver hurt after car plunges from multi-storey parking lot at UBC

Immigration department says 144 Gazans on track to come to Canada, pending biometrics

Immigration department says 144 Gazans on track to come to Canada, pending biometrics
Ottawa has processed visa applications for 144 people in the Gaza Strip, putting them on track to be reunited with extended family members in Canada — as long as they can make it across the border for biometric screening and final approval.  Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada opened a program to offer temporary visas to as many as 1,000 people in the besieged Palestinian territory, if their relatives can support them in Canada. 

Immigration department says 144 Gazans on track to come to Canada, pending biometrics

Federal dental care program will exclude 4.4M uninsured Canadians: report

Federal dental care program will exclude 4.4M uninsured Canadians: report
A new report by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says millions of uninsured Canadians will be left out of the new federal dental program because their family income is too high. Enrolment began last month for a new federal benefits program, which was developed as a condition of a political pact between the Liberal government and the NDP.    

Federal dental care program will exclude 4.4M uninsured Canadians: report

Trudeau defends Jamaica trip as committee agrees to seek ethics watchdog's testimony

Trudeau defends Jamaica trip as committee agrees to seek ethics watchdog's testimony
Members of Parliament on the Commons ethics committee agreed to invite interim commissioner Konrad von Finckenstein to testify at the earliest opportunity once the House comes back from a winter break at the end of the month. 

Trudeau defends Jamaica trip as committee agrees to seek ethics watchdog's testimony