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VICTORIA – Several companies are facing a total of more than $184,000 in fines in relation to a June incident where a worker fell after a rebar tower collapsed at the construction site of a new engineering lab at the University of Victoria campus.

According to WorkSafeBC, the incident occurred on June 8 when a worker was near the top of a rebar tower with two attached walls, installing hair-pins and removing level bars. The tower collapsed and the worker fell with it to the ground.

There were no serious injuries reported, however, WorkSafeBC determined the structure had not been supported according to standing practice and there were no written instructions from a professional engineer regarding the bracing of the tower.

Bird ��������ion, as the prime contractor, was fined��$140,209.70 on Sept. 9.

“As prime contractor of a multiple-employer worksite, the firm failed to ensure health and safety activities at the worksite were co-ordinated,” states WorkSafeBC in a report. “The firm also failed to ensure that all partially assembled structures were supported as necessary to safely withstand any loads likely to be imposed on them. These were both high-risk violations.”

Viking Reinforcing Ltd. was fined��$36,089.65 as the firm failed to ensure all partially assembled structures were supported as necessary to safely withstand any loads likely to be imposed on them, the safety agency reports. The firm also failed to provide its workers with the information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety. These are also both high-risk violations.

Lastly, A.R.M. Reinforcing Ltd. was fined $7,742.91 on Sept. 11 for the same violations as Viking Reinforcing Ltd.