Commission orders review of BC Hydro 'safety culture' after Vancouver explosion

The B.C. Utilities Commission has ordered BC Hydro to commission an independent, third-party report on the explosion of an electrical vault in downtown Vancouver earlier this year, citing "serious concerns" about the Crown corporation's "safety practices and culture."

Issued Friday, the order directs BC Hydro to hire a consultant to investigate "the root cause" of the Feb. 24 explosion on Burrard Street that injured two people and sent flames shooting out of the sidewalk in front of the Marine Building.

Areas of inquiry for the third-party report include, but are not limited to, "BC Hydro's culture of safety and compliance," "BC Hydro's asset management practices" and "BC Hydro's work procedures and quality control processes," according to the order. 

The Crown corporation has until Aug. 21 to identify and hire a consultant to complete the report. That consultant will be responsible for preparing two interim progress reports – in late September and late October – with a final report due on Nov. 30.

BC Hydro has been conducting its own investigation into the explosion, submitting a post-incident report to the BCUC last month.

At that time, the utility's president Chris O'Riley issued a public apology for the blast, which the company said was caused by a buildup of gases from a leaking gasket in the lid of an oil-filled switch. 

The company also admitted that 14 vaults – including the one that exploded – had been identified as high risk in 2016. BC Hydro's assessment of the vaults at that time found that failure to replace them could result in severe injury or death.

Last month, the owner of a coffee shop adjacent to the blast told CTV News he's certain that's what would've happened if his shop had been open when the explosion occurred just before 6 p.m. 

"If the patio would have been full – and it often is, even in the winter time – my staff would have been out there cleaning the patio, this explosion would have incinerated them,” said JJ Bean owner and founder John Neate in a June interview.

BC Hydro's assessment recommended the vault be updated by 2018, and while the utility says it moved to do so, that was delayed so it could upgrade another nearby vault.

“There is no excuse for us not having acted sooner,” said O’Riley in June.

In a letter to BC Hydro accompanying the order Friday, the BCUC acknowledges that the company is working on a two-phase "street vault review," which will include a risk assessment, the development of mitigation plans and an update to the maintenance and replacement strategy for street vault equipment.

"The intent of the third-party report is to complement, rather than duplicate, BC Hydro’s efforts in the street vault review and post-incident report," the BCUC's letter reads.

"The third-party report is expected to provide a broader view and valuable insights into the root cause of the Feb. 24, 2023 incident and BC Hydro’s safety culture."