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Vancouver Island firm fined $27,000 after paving stones topple onto worker

WorkSafe BC says landscaping company had no clear guidelines for stacking pallets
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WorkSafe BC fined a Greater Victoria paving stone and landscaping company following an injury accident, for what it deemed to be a high-risk violation of worksite safety. (WorkSafe BC/Facebook)

WorkSafe BC has handed down a fine of $27,211 to a Greater Victoria company in the wake of a workplace injury.

The provincial organization, which imposed the fine June 21, reports it visited a Van Isle Bricklok Surfacing and Landscape Supplies worksite in Central Saanich on April 21 in response to a previous incident.

According to WorkSafe BC, the incident happened as a worker was taking inventory in a storage yard and saw a pallet of concrete paving stones weighing an estimated 1.5 tonnes fall and pin the worker, who was injured in the process.

A WorkSafe inspection of the site determined many stacks of paving materials in the yard were out of plumb or unstable. As well, the report stated, there were no written procedures in place for employees about how to stack the pallets safely. The firm’s failure to ensure materials were stacked or stored in a stable and secure manner was deemed a high-risk violation and resulted in the fine, WorkSafe wrote.

The inspection report indicated that a stop work order was given for the area in question until compliance was achieved, that is, a restacking or unstacking of leaning bricks to remove risk of injury to a worker.

WorkSafe penalties aim to motivate employers that receive the fines, and others, to comply with occupational health and safety legislation and regulations, and to keep their workplaces safe. The penalty amounts are typically based on the size of the employer’s payroll, the nature of the violation and past history.

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