After the third death relating to a crane on a construction site in eight years, the former worker's compensation board says that crane operators will have to be certified by next year.
For the first time, those who operate the machines will have to prove they know how to calculate the weight of their load, said Don Nelson of WorkSafeBC.
"It's surprising and most people would be surprised to learn that the regulations up until now haven't properly addressed that," Nelson told CTV's Carrie Stefanson.
"All operators of three crane types must have documented competency," he said.
Construction on a bridge over the Fraser River was halted Monday when a nine-ton construction crane toppled and killed a 22-year-old working on the Canada Line.
Certification wasn't required to work on the Canada Line, a SkyTrain that extends from downtown Vancouver to Richmond and is one of the biggest construction projects in B.C.'s history.
Not the first death from cranes
And it's not the first death. There was a call for certification after a cable snapped during work on the Millennium Skytrain Line in 2000, killing an 18-year-old worker.
And in 2005, a man was hit by a large metal ball suspended from a cable underneath a crane.
According to WorkSafeBC, there were 87 work-related fatalities in 2007. This was the first fatal accident on the Canada Line.
The number of non-fatal crane accidents nearly doubled from 16 in 2004 to 30 in 2006.
It's too early to say whether more training would have saved the young man's life. The authorities have not yet released his name, but it is known that he is an ironworker.
"Construction unions and industries have been demanding for years that there should be a certificate you have to get to operate a crane," said Jim Sinclair, the president of the B.C. Federation of Labour. "It's a dangerous piece of equipment."
"Employers have to know that as a consequence to not enforcing the rules, they have to really step up the training, they have to change it so that employers wouldn't even think about doing it without training and they have to bring in certifications," he said.
Chuck Puchmayer, the NDP Labour critic, said that it's hard for employees to get away from a booming industry job to take training.
"It's up to the employer and when the pressure's on, sometimes the standard drops," he said.
Bridge construction still suspended
InTransit BC spokesman Steve Crombie says all crew and managers on the North Arm section of transit line are in safety meetings today, and grief counselors are available to meet with workers.
"(The length of the) work stoppage will be determined by the managers, in conjunction with the project directors," he told bc.ctv.ca. "It's possible they may be back tomorrow, but we aren't sure. We want to make sure they are all in the right frame of mind."
The North Arm section of the project runs from Southwest Marine Drive in Vancouver, over the Fraser River to Bridgeport Station in Richmond and the airport.
Officials say they will be reviewing safety measures with all of their workers.
In Transit BC is a partnership between SNC Lavalin, BC Investment Management Corporation and Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec.
