PROVINCE: Work started on developing an oil spill protocol A3 Friday, November 30, 2012 Calling all ghosts of Christmas past ... Christmas Carol comes to town A12
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Light Up the night
De Ly nd a P ILON/ Fre e P re s s
Santa arrived at the Light Up festivities at Civic Plaza Wednesday, greeted by a crowd of happy children.
â– MILL EXPLOSIONS
WorkSafeBC hands files over to Crown DELYNDA PILON
newsroom@pgfreepress.com
WorkSafeBC is simultaneously referring investigation results from the Babine Sawmill explosion in Burns Lake, where two people were killed and 20 injured, and the Lakeland Mills explosion in Prince George, where two people were killed and 22 injured, to Crown counsel for review. Roberta Ellis, senior vice president in charge of corporate affairs for WorkSafeBC, said this should not be confused with criminal charges. The RCMP released both explosion sites to WorkSafeBC shortly after the incidents
occurred. “If WorkSafeBC was concerned there was a criminal act, we would have referred this to the RCMP,� she said. Rather, the charges, which she would not specifically name, could include things like an employer not following his or her general duty to provide a safe workplace to a lack of regular inspections or appropriate training. In 2011, WorkSafeBC applied about 250 penalties to various work places, collecting about $4.5 million. Ellis said she recalls perhaps a dozen incidents when a case was referred to the Crown. WorkSafeBC can impose significant fines, up to about $500,000 for a first
offence. Likewise the Crown can impose fines as significant. What WorkSafeBC cannot do is target individuals or hand out jail sentences. Ellis said in these two incidents, which resulted in four deaths and 42 injuries, some very serious, WorkSafeBC determined to refer the case to the Crown. The Crown will then assess the reports WorkSafeBC provides, which will include at least 10,000 photographs. The reports will be substantial and will likely be submitted in the new year. Once the Crown assesses the reports, they will decide whether or not to proceed with charges. If not, the files will return to WorkSafeBC, and they will
make a decision regarding penalties. “If the Crown returns it to WorkSafeBC, then we consider applying penalties,� Ellis said. “We have no assumption on how Crown counsel will proceed.� Although WorkSafeBC will continue to keep specific investigation results under raps, Jeff Dolan, director of investigations at the corporation, said it continues to release information they’ve gathered to help prevent a similar incident from occurring. Information on dust from beetle-killed wood, the fuel source for the explosions, as well as issues with reduced ventilation, dryness in general and gear friction have been released to industry.
FRIDAY • 7:00pm • NOVEMBER 30th SUNDAY • 7:00pm • DECEMBER 1st ight
Friday N
Canadian Mental Health Association will be collecting hats/scarves/mitts for their clients. Sunday
vs.
Night
Child Development Centre of Prince George will be collecting unwrapped gifts for children 3-5 years old
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