VANCOUVER, B.C. - WorksafeBC handed out a record $4.4 million in fines last year, eclipsing a 2007 record that the safety agency was hoping it wouldn't see again.
Last year, 211 penalties were imposed against 190 employers, almost 60 per cent of which involved construction-related industries.
The largest fine - $250,000 - was levied against Fort St. John-based Canadian Natural Resources after a young worker fell from a drilling rig platform when it was engulfed in flames.
Sixteen of the incidents involved a fatality.
Agency spokeswoman Roberta Ellis says employers need to take the responsibility for a safe workplace seriously, adding that no penalty is imposed if the employer has taken all care to prevent a violation.
Ellis says WorksafeBC has increased its inspection and investigation capacity for industries and employers that present the highest risk to workers.