August 12, 2010

B.C. Safety Authority reports 11% increase in incidents in 2009

VANCOUVER

The BC Safety Authority (BCSA) recently released its State of Safety Report 2009 which recorded an 11 per cent increase in the number of incidents reported.

There were a total of 504 incidents reported to the BCSA in 2009, representing an 11 per cent increase from the 456 reported incidents in 2008. However, of that total, only 338 were directly related to BCSA-regulated equipment or operations, down six per cent from 359 in 2008.

In 2009, there were 127 injuries resulting from the reported incidents. Minor injuries accounted for 91 (72 per cent) of the total, up from 80 in 2008. The number of major injuries reported in 2009 was lower than the previous year, down to 36 from 58. There were six reported incidents resulting in fatalities — three in the electrical technology and three in gas. Four of the six incidents remain under investigation.

In 2009, the BCSA completed more than 69,000 assessments, licensed more than 8,200 contractors across all technologies and issued certificates of qualification to nearly 63,000 individuals.

The safety authority also carried out a total of 361 enforcement actions in 2009.

DCN News Services

Print | Email | Comment