The B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed that one person died at a Nanaimo construction site on Wednesday afternoon, hours after another death at a site on Bear Mountain, in what the head of an Island trade association called a “dark day” for the sector.
Rory Kulmala, chief executive of the Vancouver Island Construction Association, said it was a difficult day for families of the workers killed, teams who worked side-by-side with them and companies that employed the workers.
“First we extend our heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and colleagues affected by this devastating loss,” said Kulmala, whose organization represents 470 companies and thousands of construction workers.
“Our thoughts are with everyone impacted, and we offer our full support to those grieving as we collectively mourn the loss of these two individuals.”
Kulmala said the tragedies are a reminder of the critical importance of safety and vigilance on job sites. “We stand united with the construction community during this difficult time and remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting initiatives that prioritize the health and safety of all workers,” he said.
He said construction sites are “inherently risky,” but the industry is always working with companies and agencies like WorkSafeBC to improve.
“I don’t know the details of what happened, but I know we will take any recommendations to improve safety on job sites,” said Kulmala. “There is already a bible of procedures all designed to keep workers safe. We can take what we learn on what best practices can be improved.”
While she confirmed the Nanaimo death, Amber Schinkel of the B.C. Coroners Service said in a statement to the Times Colonist on Thursday that she was unable to provide details of who died or the circumstances because it’s an open investigation.
Nanaimo Fire, RCMP and multiple ambulances responded to the construction site in the 3700-block of Shenton Road in the Diver Lake neighbourhood.
The construction project is a four-storey commercial-residential building.
WorkSafeBC has also sent a team to investigate the death, but said it is not able to share any further information while an investigation is underway.
B.C. Emergency Health Services sent an ambulance with advanced-care paramedics and an ambulance with primary care paramedics at 2:09 p.m., but said no patients were transported to hospital.
R.W (Bob) Wall Ltd., the general contractor on the construciton site, said in a statement: “Our team is completely devastated by what happened and we are trying to focus on them and their well-being right now.”
The incident happened just hours after a construction worker was killed at a project in the 1400-block of Pinehurst Place in Langford on Bear Mountain.
The man, in his mid-20s, was treated by officers and paramedics, but died of his injuries at the scene.
WorkSafeBC is also investigating that incident and did not provide further details.
Wednesday’s incidents follow a major construction injury in downtown Victoria this month.
On Sept. 7, crane rigger Kyle McIntyre was working at a construction site in Chinatown when a 4,000-pound load of reinforced concrete and heavy-duty plywood molds for forming concrete fell on him from a height of about 10 or 12 feet.
McIntyre suffered multiple serious injuries, including a dislocated knee and three open-skin fractures on his left leg, as well as a minor contusion to the back of his head.
Another worker who was injured on the site was able to walk out of the emergency room.
The incident is also under investigation by WorkSafeBC.
WorkSafeBC said workplace injuries and illnesses claimed the lives of 175 workers in the province last year. Of those, 60 workers died from a traumatic injury, including falls from a height, being struck by objects and being caught in equipment and/or machinery.
Deaths on construction sites claimed 39 lives.
Of the 175 workers killed in 2023, 163 were male and 12 were female and three were young workers between the ages of 15 and 24, according to WorkSafeBC.
The 2023 death toll was marginally lower than in 2022, when 181 workers died.
The safety agency said occupational disease remained the number one killer of workers last year, claiming the lives of 93 workers, with 48 of those deaths resulting from asbestos exposure often decades ago.
In addition, motor vehicle incidents claimed the lives of 22 workers last year.
