WorkSafeBC cited Vancouver’s Olympic stadium 66 times for workplace safety violations during the first five-and-a-half months of 2009.
A Freedom of Information request by 24 hours yielded 21 inspection reports for B.C. Place Stadium, the 1983-opened, taxpayer-owned site of 2010 Winter Games’ opening and closing ceremonies.
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“B.C. Place is bleeding red ink,” said NDP critic Spencer Herbert. “At the same time it's not performing to B.C.’s own legislated standards of safety.”
Incidents included a worker overcome by epoxy fumes on Jan. 21 and the March 10 near-electrocution of a worker.
“The employer has not provided adequate instruction, information, training and supervision to workers with respect to de-energizing electrical equipment before conducting work,” said a March 17 report on the electrical mishap.
On April 9, workers who operate the air-supported roof system were deemed ill-trained. A May 18 report found there was no risk assessment for workplace violence nor a plan to protect first aid attendants and cleaning staff from blood or bodily fluids.
A May 21 report said there was no fall protection plan for areas where workers are not protected by permanent guardrails. Four days later, another report said a sound and lighting truss hung from the roof for last November’s visit by Ismaili spiritual leader Aga Khan was unsafe.
The stadium’s operations and engineering supervisors were fired June 25. Control room workers who double as security guards were told July 7 to choose between the jobs, transfer to another department or take a lump-sum severance package.
Herbert said “dubious safety practices” mean both workers and the public are at risk in the “showpiece of B.C.’s and Canada’s Olympics.”
