The B.C. government announced a new crane licensing and permitting program on Tuesday after seven people had died in the province within the last five years.
The mandatory program aims to improve standards and accountability and is based on recommendations from industry and labour policy experts.
The program would fill safety gaps in the current legislation.
Currently, only crane operators must be certified and registered with an oversight body, but the law would also require this of workers who own, maintain, repair, move, erect, and disassemble.
If the legislation is passed, WorkSafeBC, the government agency responsible for the prevention of occupational injuries, would enforce the new law.
Premier David Eby links the legal overhaul to a planned increase in major infrastructure projects in B.C.
He wants the province to have the highest standards of training, certification, technology, and oversight.
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“Major nation-building projects are moving forward in B.C., and the people who build them must have the best level of safety we can provide,” Eby said.
Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside says the new law is also in response to the deaths of several workers in the province, who she claims died because of “catastrophic crane-related safety failures.”
Industry representatives, who say crane operations are high-risk, welcome the actions, saying that licensing and permitting are proven tools for reducing risks.
“Licensing and permitting frameworks are a practical way to manage accountability and shared responsibilities within the industry,” said Clinton Connell, executive director at the BC Crane Safety Association.
The province has seen an increased number of cranes, with 373 active tower cranes in operation currently, 100 more than in 2021.