Two Kelowna construction companies have been fined by WorkSafeBC after a worker was seriously injured by falling into excavation while pumping concrete.

Rebo Beton Pumping Ltd. has been fined $14,868 while Premier Craft Homes Ltd. was fined $5,279 in relation to an incident at a new home construction job site at 695 Franklyn Road.

WorkSafeBC inspected the site on Aug. 10, 2021 immediately after the incident and found violations of the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety, according to a redacted inspection report obtained by Castanet.

The new home’s building foundation formwork was erected in the bottom of an excavation and access for workers to pour concrete into the forms was provided by wood-framed scaffolding built by Premier Craft Homes, the framing contractor.

The scaffold, however, was built unsafely — it was too narrow, not properly braced and poorly supported. It was built about eight feet above the bottom of the excavation.

The scaffold collapsed, sending an employee of Rebo Beton Pumping falling to the bottom of the excavation, seriously injuring them. The extent of the injuries are redacted in the WorkSafe report.

“The employer must ensure that scaffolds used by workers are in safe condition and able to withstand the load, regardless of who erected the scaffold,” said the WorkSafe inspection report.

WorkSafeBC also cited Rebo Beton for not providing workers with adequate safety training and for not making “reasonable inquiries” as to the hazards at the workplace.

A followup inspection in November 2021 later found that the company was in full compliance of the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety.

Premier Craft Homes received their penalty for their role in building the shoddy scaffolding that was installed in an unsupported excavation and not in accordance with instructions of an engineer.

“The firm failed to ensure that, prior to worker entry, excavations were sloped, benched, shored, or otherwise supported as required. This was a high-risk violation,” WorkSafeBC said in its penalty summary.

The penalty for Rebo Beton Pumping was the firm's second WorkSafe penalty in two years, although the first penalty was the company’s first in two decades of business.

Rebo Beton report redacted WorkSafeBC by Colin Dacre on Scribd