Documents shed new light on Belcarra workplace death

There were “supervisory deficiencies” that contributed to the death of a labourer who was electrocuted while washing windows on a Belcarra home in 2024, according to a WorkSafeBC investigation.

Two workers, both of whom were employed by a numbered company doing business as Crown Property Services, were washing glass pergolas and windows at a three-storey house on May 28, 2024.

One neighbour reported seeing a large electrical flash and hearing a “loud bang like thunder.”

The other worker and the supervisor ran through the house and found the labourer lying on the opposite side of the street.

Investigators determined the labourer had been using a long, extendable water-fed pole to clean the house. The pole flexed and hit high voltage power lines. The labourer was exposed to approximately 129 milliamperes of electrical current.

Health and safety regulations require that workers are informed of the location and voltage of nearby power lines before starting work.

When working close to high voltage power lines, labourers and equipment must be at least 10 feet away.

In this case, the power line was about 22 feet off the ground, and slightly less than 20 feet from the house.

With four sections extended, the pole used by the labourer was 22 feet long.

Scorch marks were found on the pole.

A redacted report released by WorkSafeBC stated the company had no record of orientation or training, work procedures or hazard assessments.

The company “had no checklist to enable workers to identify hazards and assess risks prior to starting work,” the report stated. “The firm also lacked safe work procedures for window washing.”

There was no trained first aid attendant on site.

The supervisor told investigator he hadn’t looked for potential hazards at the house before assigning the work to the two labourers.

Following the labourer’s death, the company: “obtained the services of a health and safety provider to assist in orientation and training of workers, worksite hazard assessment checklists,” according to the report.