BC Safety Authority Reports 19 Percent Incident Decrease for 2007
The British Columbia Safety Authority (Vancouver) has released its fourth annual State of Safety Report, which summarizes yearly incidents in the province related to the seven technologies it oversees. The report also includes analysis and future outlooks. In all, with 483 incidents reported to the agency--329 of which were directly related to regulated equipment or operations under its jurisdiction--the total for 2007 decreased 19 percent, down from 594 in 2006.
The seven technologies covered in the State of Safety are:
- Amusement devices (including amusement rides, ziplines, waterslides) and recreational railways
- Boilers, pressure vessels and refrigeration systems (including ice arenas)
- Electrical equipment and systems
- Elevating devices such as elevators and escalators
- Gas appliances and systems
- Passenger ropeways such as aerial trams and ski lifts
- Railways
Safety Authority President and CEO Harry Diemer said industry in the province is taking public safety seriously, but added that there is always room for improvement. "We are still developing the relationships and systems that will give us a broader and deeper understanding of the accidents that have occurred," he said. "It is very important to us that our industry partners increase their levels of incident reporting: this is what gives us the data we need to identify hazards, assess trends, and develop the solutions that will prevent incidents from occurring in the future. To that end we are committed to strengthening our relationships with industry partners and working with them to improve public safety."
The State of Safety Report can be viewed and downloaded through the Safety Authority Web site at www.safetyauthority.ca.