Port Alberni RCMP, WorkSafeBC and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating a fatal work accident that occurred in the Alberni Valley Tuesday afternoon at a logging sort area near Snug Basin, situated at the end of Uchucklesaht Inlet.
A 46-year-old male employee of A.M. Excavating was injured around 12:50 p.m. when the front-loader he was using to move a large diesel fuel tank on a sloped road rolled onto its side and trapped him.
According to WorkSafeBC communications officer Megan Johnston, the man later died of his injuries.
Port Alberni RCMP spokesman Insp. Mac Richards said the detachment received the call about the accident at 1 p.m.
“The employee was already dead when the RCMP arrived," he said. He added that the name of the deceased man could not be released.
Johnston said WorkSafeBC was notified about the fatal accident around 1 p.m. The agency immediately sent officers and investigators, who arrived on scene by 4: 30 p.m.
“We will look at all factors during the investigation,” Johnston said.
“We will look at the condition of the equipment, the training received by the deceased employee, site supervision, the load that was being moved, the road and the slope.”
A.M. Excavating is a Nanaimo-based road building contractor.
