Metro Vancouver fined $170,000 after worker hurt in ‘high-risk’ water main operation

NEW WESTMINSTER – Metro Vancouver has been fined about $170,000 after a worker was seriously injured during “high-risk violations” while working on a water main in New Westminster two years ago.

WorkSafeBC says in a news release that it issued the penalty to the regional district on March 12 after one of two workers helping lift gearboxes off a water main valve was injured when one gearbox “released and lifted forcefully upward.”

It says the gearboxes were being lifted out of a confined space using a crane, and the workers were inside the space using pry bars, on March 15, 2024.

WorkSafeBC says it identified several high-risk violations, including a failure to plan and identify hazards before conducting the operation.

The board says Metro Vancouver did not make sure health and safety activities were co-ordinated and also failed to develop written procedures to on reduce the risks working in confined spaces.

Metro Vancouver says in a statement that it has “taken comprehensive corrective actions” around workplace safety since the incident, and complied with all WorkSafe orders in its aftermath.

The violations also included the lack of an adequately trained supervisor on-site, and the workers’ lack of adequate training in such situations, and Metro Vancouver says it has since updated its procedures “to ensure all workers are informed, trained, and protected.”

 “Metro Vancouver has one of the strongest workplace safety records among comparable organizations in B.C., and we remain focused on continuous improvement,” the statement said. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2026.