On February 2nd, a 31-year old British Columbia man died in a work-related accident after a ladder the man was in contact with touched a power line. The 31-year old Nanoose Bay man was working on an apartment building when he was electrocuted. His co-worker, who was also in contact with the ladder when it touched the live wires, was also affected, but was airlifted to a nearby hospital with minor injuries.
Accident Occurred Despite Apparent Workplace Training
WorkSafeBC has now taken over the investigation into this fatal accident. Four of their investigators were dispatched to find the cause of the accident and ensure that the worker’s employer was in compliance with the Workers Compensation Act. WorkSafeBC estimates the accident report will take one month to complete.
The man’s employer released a statement saying that all employees of the company were trained on safety procedures.
Under the law, an employer has a duty to ensure that their employees are properly trained on safety procedures. Employers also have the duty to take reasonable steps to ensure their employees safety during the course of their work.
Correspondingly, employees have both work-related rights and duties. According to WorkSafeBC, employees have the right to:
- Have proper safety orientation and training
- Work in a safe and healthy place of employment
- Refuse work that is unsafe
However, since safety is everyone’s business in the workplace, employees also have responsibilities. These include:
- Noting workplace hazards and immediately reporting them to the employer or supervisor
- Adhering closely to safety procedures
- Making use of protective gear and clothing provided and required
- Promptly seeking treatment after a workplace accident
- Returning to work when it is safe to do so and under modified duties, if necessary
- Never working under the influence of drugs or alcohol
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