Two Okanagan companies hit with hefty fines for safety violations

A pair of Okanagan construction companies are facing costly WorkSafeBC penalties for recent safety violations on their Kelowna worksites.

Enco Construction Ltd. was fined $8,529.67 for violation in December 2024 where two employees, one of which was the supervisor, were painting the exterior of the Water Street by the Park highrise under construction at 1660 Water Street.

The pair were working on an 11th storey balcony, and although they were both wearing fall protection gear, there was excessive slack in their lifelines exposing the workers to a fall risk of up to 70 feet, according to a WorkSafeBC media released issued Wednesday, Feb. 19.

A stop-work order was issued and it was determined the firm didn’t ensure adequate fall protection was used. It also didn’t provide its workers with the appropriate information, training and supervision required for their health and safety, both of which are considered high-risk violations.

In January, Secure Traffic Control Ltd. was fined $4,587.92 after workers directing traffic for a municipal water main upgrade were witnessed by inspectors standing in the roadway at intersection of Rio Drive and Clifton Road.

The company did not make sure the workers were not standing in an intersection open to where traffic was moving, which was a repeated and high-risk violation for the company, WorkSafeBC said.