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In recent years, several high-profile crane incidents in B.C. have highlighted the risks of crane activity on construction sites. These events prompted WorkSafeBC to develop a new crane safety strategy. This article is the first in a three-part series that examines how information, oversight and people work together to reduce crane-related risks in B.C.

Part One: The information system – Understanding the risk

Construction sites are complex. Tower cranes pivot overhead; materials move across the site; and workers perform many interdependent tasks. Less visible are the underlying systems — planning, co-ordination, training and information flow — that determine whether work is carried out safely.

At WorkSafeBC, improving safety has always started with a risk-based approach. In 2024, we took a deeper, deliberate dive into crane-related risks. This involved analyzing data from inspections and incident investigations, and consulting with the sector across B.C.

This process allowed us to see patterns — where hazards remain, where controls break down and where expectations may not be clearly understood or consistently applied. This methodical approach formed the foundation of our crane safety strategy.

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What we’ve learned

Serious crane incidents rarely result from a single failure. Instead, they emerge from multiple, interconnected system breakdowns over time.

The 2024 incident that led to the tragic death of Yuridia Flores at the Oakridge redevelopment site in Vancouver illustrates this clearly. Flores was struck while standing in what should have been a controlled ground zone.

WorkSafeBC’s investigation revealed multiple contributing factors:

• Flores had not received training on ground control, traffic control or spotting.
• She was assigned work for which she was unqualified.
• Supervision was inadequate.
• The responsibility for control zones was unclear among contractors.
• The lift was not identified as a critical lift, despite the hazards.

This incident underscores the profound human cost of systemic failures in training, supervision and co-ordination. While WorkSafeBC issued significant administrative penalties related to this incident, no enforcement action can undo the loss experienced by Flores’s family, friends, co-workers and community.

Systemic failures are not isolated. They have emerged in other serious crane incidents over time, including the 2021 crane collapse in Kelowna. Although WorkSafeBC has completed its investigation into the incident, the report will not be released while the matter is before the BC Prosecution Service. However, its findings are being used to inform our current crane safety initiatives, including strengthening regulatory requirements, inspectional practices and training standards.

Recurring risk patterns

Over the past 18 months, by carefully reviewing inspections, incident reports and industry feedback, WorkSafeBC’s Prevention Division has determined there are three systemic concerns involving crane work that require co-ordinated action:

• Competency and role clarity: Risks increase when workers carry out crane-related tasks without proper instruction, training or supervision. Supervisors themselves may lack the qualifications or knowledge to provide effective oversight. In some cases, roles and responsibilities are not clearly defined or verified during planning, creating gaps in accountability.

• Planning and co-ordination: Multi-crane sites face challenges when lift plans are incomplete or poorly communicated. Responsibilities may be undefined; work priorities unclear; and drop or fall zones inadequately managed. Risks increase when site co-ordination depends on assumptions rather than formal procedures put in place by prime contractors.

• Technical and equipment controls: Our investigations into crane incidents have revealed unsafe assembly, malfunctioning safety systems, inadequate inspection and missed maintenance. These technical issues continue to be a source of preventable incidents.

From information to strategy

These risks pointed to the need for a more co-ordinated, system-level response from the sector. That’s why WorkSafeBC’s crane safety strategy focuses on the following areas:

Operational certification and workforce training: WorkSafeBC is ensuring the consistency and reliability of operator certification, clarifying expectations for on-the-job competency development and improving how worker experience is verified and tracked.

The goal is simple: to ensure operators, supervisors and workers are prepared for the work they are assigned.

Inspection capacity and enforcement: Certain sites, activities and employers present higher levels of risk. By prioritizing inspections on these worksites, our officers can intervene early and provide stronger oversight.

In 2025, our focus was on complex, multi-employer sites. As compliance improves, we will continue to prioritize inspections to where they are needed most.

Regulatory modernization: Crane work has evolved in recent years, with more cranes operating on increasingly complex worksites. WorkSafeBC is updating and refining regulations to keep pace.

Key initiatives include:

• Notice of Project – Tower Crane (NOP-TC): Employers must submit to WorkSafeBC the names of all employers involved, supervisor qualifications, safe work procedures, tower crane details and the dates the work will take place before any crane activity begins.
• Safe-for-Use Certification (expected in 2027): All major tower crane components — structural, mechanical and controls — must be inspected by qualified persons and certified by a professional engineer before operation, with annual recertification required.
• Rigging regulations under review: Rules are being updated to ensure rigging equipment, procedures and maintenance meet current industry standards, and to clarify the safety-critical competencies expected of workers and employers.

Up next: In parts two and three of this series, we’ll explore how our crane safety strategy comes to life; first, through risk-based oversight and inspections, and then through the human system of competency and training, prime contractor leadership, supervision and shared responsibility.

Todd McDonald is the head of prevention services for WorkSafeBC. Send Industry Perspectives Op-Ed comments and column ideas to editor@journalofcommerce.com.