WorkSafe B.C. levied 20 penalties against Burnaby companies in 2011, according to its annual enforcement report. That number jumps from 15 penalties in 2010. In 2009, there were 18 penalties levied and in 2008, only four.
But there were more penalties throughout the province due to increased focus on certain areas, according to Jeff Dolan, WorkSafe B.C.'s director of investigations.
"It's because of our targeted campaigns," he said in a phone interview Wednesday.
WorkSafe B.C. focused on roofing companies and asbestos removal in 2011, and those strategies will continue in 2012, he added.
Roofing companies were looked at because of the simplicity of the solution to most injuries that occur on their work sites, he said.
"A penalty could very easily be avoided," Dolan said, adding the company just needs proper fall protection and barriers for its workers.
Improper asbestos removal has become an issue as more houses in the Lower Mainland are demolished, many of which were built before the mid-'90s, and may contain asbestos, he said.
Dolan estimates 300 houses are demolished per month in the Lower Mainland.
Penalties are more severe for companies with higher payrolls and if a company has had similar past violations, he said.
The highest penalty imposed on a Burnaby company last year was $27,366.24 against Globe Foundry Ltd. for failing to comply with WorkSafe B.C. orders issued due to numerous safety violations, according to the report. The penalty was doubled as the firm had previously received a penalty for the same violations.
But that amount was much lower than the largest fine in the province - $250,000 against Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. after a worker in Powell River was killed by a five-foot boulder.
The boulder came down a hill and hit the worker as he was hand drilling, the report stated.
According to the report, the workers were not properly instructed on clearing loose material uphill, despite unstable material being an issue in previous risk assessments.
The penalty is currently under review. Penalties in Burnaby in 2011 started at $1,000, which went to Sky's the Limit Roofing because the owner was not using fall protection while working on the sloped roof of a garage 13 feet above the ground. It was a repeat violation, according to the report.
Working without fall protection was the reason for 12 of the fines, with penalties ranging from $1,000 to $7,639.
The only penalty for a serious injury in the report went to the Harold David Gaucher firm, after a worker fell 10 feet from a roof, hit another roof, and fell another 20 feet onto a concrete basement floor. The firm was fined $2,500 for failing to ensure the worker used fall protection.
In 2011, there were 352 penalties imposed on 289 individual companies, totaling $4.88 million.
Penalties in 2011 ranged from $1,000 to $250,000.
