Crane drops load at Oakridge construction site, 1 day after new safety regulations

Just a day after new crane safety regulations were introduced in B.C., another load drop occurred at the Oakridge construction site, Global News has learned. This is the same site where a worker tragically died earlier this year.

The latest incident took place at around 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday near 41st Avenue and Ash Street. A photo submitted to Global News shows a bundle of pipes that appeared to have fallen onto a fence at the bottom of the site, narrowly avoiding nearby traffic. TransLink also confirmed that its trolley wires were damaged in the incident. Fortunately, no injuries have been reported.

EllisDon, the construction company operating the site, issued a statement confirming that building materials being lifted by a crane fell "to a secure and unoccupied space." The company assured that no one was hurt and that a full investigation is underway, with their full cooperation with WorkSafeBC.

Both the City of Vancouver and WorkSafeBC have acknowledged the incident. WorkSafeBC stated that an officer was dispatched to the site, and an investigation has been launched to determine the causes and any contributing factors. However, specific details and timeframes cannot be provided while the investigation is ongoing.

This construction site is the same location where Yuridia Flores, a mother of two from Mexico, tragically lost her life in February when a crane’s load fell on her.