WCB Report Confirms Need To Assign Prime Contractor

On March 5, 2012, WorkSafeBC released its incident investigation report concerning a workplace accident that resulted in the death of a worker at the vacation home of Gordon Campbell, Canada's High Commissioner to Britain and the former Premier of British Columbia. The report found Mr. Campbell technically responsible for the accident as a result of being the default prime contractor at the work site. This decision underscores the importance of owners at multiple-employer construction sites ensuring that they properly assign a prime contractor in writing or face liability for failing to ensure that someone has oversight responsibility for compliance with occupational health and safety at the workplace generally.