THREE North Shore construction companies are facing more than $17,000 in fines after being accused of safety violations by WorkSafe B.C.
The biggest of the penalties went to Apex Western Homes Ltd. for three separate incidents in which the company's subcontractor damaged a natural gas line at a single work site, according to a report released by the provincial safety agency this week. Apex failed to properly locate the gas line before excavating, which put several employees at risk, said WorkSafe. The misstep earned the company a fine of $8,256.
Select Roofing Ltd. was hit with a $6,763 penalty after WorkSafe staff found two employees working on a sloped roof of a three-storey building, eight metres off the ground, without fall protection gear. This was a repeated violation by the company, the report notes. East West Roofing & Siding was pinched for $2,500 for failing to comply with a previous order from WorkSafe.
Roofing and construction companies typically make up the majority of businesses penalized for injuries and unsafe practices. In 2010, North Vancouver's Penfold's Roofing was fined $145,000 - the largest penalty in the province that year - after employees were repeatedly caught working on roofs without fall protection.
