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WorkSafeBC releases investigation
Richmond, B.C., February 7, 2008 WorkSafeBC has concluded its investigation into a motor vehicle accident that killed 3 farm workers. WorkSafeBC has submitted its report to the Coroner and expects to participate in a Coroner's Inquest that will take place later in 2008. This incident is also under investigation by the RCMP.
All British Columbians were shocked and saddened by this tragedy, said Roberta Ellis, vice president Policy, Investigations and Review Divisions of WorkSafeBC. Three people died and 14 others were injured in the wreckage of a van that many of us saw on television or in the newspaper.
The WorkSafeBC investigation describes in detail what happened that morning. At approximately 6:20 a.m. on March 7, 2007, a 15-passenger van owned by RHA Enterprises Ltd., carrying 16 passengers (plus the driver) was traveling east on Highway 1 to Rainbow Greenhouses Inc. in Chilliwack. The vehicle collided with two transport trucks, rolled and landed on its roof on the highway median. It was raining heavily at the time, visibility was poor, and the roads were very wet.
The investigation concluded that passenger overloading, poor tire maintenance, the lack of seatbelts, inadequate driver qualification, road conditions and vehicle instability all played a role in the incident.
View the investigation report severed as per the requirements of Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy legislation.
View the investigation animation:
- Low resolution (.wmv)
- High resolution (.wmv)
The purpose of a WorkSafeBC investigation is to determine the cause of an incident, identify lessons learned to prevent a similar injury or loss of life in the future, and to investigate for compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and Workers Compensation Act. WorkSafeBC considers penalties against employers where significant non-compliance is evident and/or where the employer has had a history of non-compliance with health and safety laws and regulations.
WorkSafeBC is considering a penalty against the labour contractor who employed and transported these workers to farms in the Fraser Valley.
WorkSafeBC is an independent provincial statutory agency governed by a Board of Directors that serves nearly two million workers and about 186,000 employers. WorkSafeBC was born out of a compromise between B.C.'s workers and employers in 1917 where workers gave up the right to sue their employers and fellow workers for injuries on the job in return for a no-fault insurance program fully paid for by employers. The organization is committed to safe and healthy workplaces and to providing return-to-work rehabilitation and legislated compensation benefits.
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For more information, contact: |
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| Donna Freeman Manager, Corporate Public Affairs WorkSafeBC 604 276-3141 or Donna.Freeman@WorkSafeBC.com |
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