New crane safety regulations take effect in B.C.

Employers in B.C. are required to follow new safety regulations for operating crane towers.

Under the rules, which took effect Oct. 1, companies must submit a written notice to WorkSafeBC at least two weeks before crane use begins.

“This information would include where the work is happening, when the work is happening, who's doing the work,” said Suzana Prpic, the director of prevention field services from Worksafe BC.

“The goal here is to really create safe workplaces all across the province, to further strengthen the safety framework that exists.”

The new regulations come after a string of crane collapses across the province, some of which were fatal.

A woman was killed in February after the load a crane was carrying came crashing down at the Oakridge Park development construction site in Vancouver.

In 2021, a crane collapsed in Kelowna and killed five men.

There are currently 350 cranes in use across B.C., according to Prpic. She said the Lower Mainland is one of the busiest parts of the country when it comes to crane operations.