Investigation into fatal crane collapse in Kelowna 'well-advanced' but not complete: WorkSafeBC
One year after a crane collapsed at a Kelowna, B.C., construction site killing five workers, WorkSafeBC says a multi-pronged investigation is still ongoing.
Tuesday marks the first anniversary of the fatal workplace incident on St. Paul Street. In a statement, WorkSafeBC said it's still working to determine the cause of the collapse and any contributing factors so it can prevent similar incidents in the future.
"Over the last year, WorkSafeBC has been working with subject-matter experts and engineers to examine the crane components, sequence of events, and work procedures that took place during the crane dismantling process," the statement from the worker safety agency said.
"WorkSafeBC investigators have also examined all relevant documentation and other evidence, in addition to conducting witness interviews."
On July 12, 2021, four workers at the construction site and someone working in a nearby building were killed when the tower crane collapsed. One other worker was injured.
In the days after the incident, the deceased were identified through online fundraisers as Cailen Vilness, Patrick Stemmer, Eric Stemmer, Jared Zook and Brad Zawislak.
While technical work was done to remove the crane, an evacuation order was in place for several buildings in the area for more than a week.
WorkSafeBC said while the investigation is "well-advanced," it's unknown when it'll wrap up and a report will be released.
"Incident investigations are in-depth and the amount of time an investigation takes to complete is directly related to its complexity," the agency's statement said.
The RCMP said a dedicated team with the local Serious Crimes Unit is conducting its own criminal investigation separate from WorkSafeBC's.
"This is a complex investigation of what is being described as one of the largest workplace fatalities in B.C.'s history," Insp. Beth McAndie said in a statement Tuesday.
"There is a significant amount of technical evidence for my team to analyze."
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