Construction on the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project will be restarting in stages, beginning this week.
It comes after a nearly two-month shutdown that took effect on Dec. 18 because of several safety lapses that included the death of one worker in Alberta. Work was supposed to resume on Jan. 4, and Trans Mountain says it completed a review of its safety procedures during the self-imposed shutdown.
“As part of the safety stand down process and the investigations into the incidents, the company and its contractors identified opportunities for enhancements to safety measures, some of which may have been contributing factors to the events of the past few months,” a company statement said.
“The company focused on and reviewed matters of compliance, communication, near-miss worksite reviews and reporting, and workers’ fitness for duty, as a post-incident investigation revealed an isolated case of a worker failing a drug and alcohol test.”
In returning to operations, Trans Mountain says there will be more rigorous job-site safety training including the safe operation of equipment when in close proximity to other workers. There will also be enhanced worksite inspections and regular audits and more site supervision and safety planning.
“Trans Mountain is dedicated to the safety of its employees, suppliers and stakeholders and is committed to ensuring all safety management systems are in place, including COVID-19 protocols, to make sure everyone returns to work safely,” said a company statement. “Every worker returning to the project will undergo a COVID-19 test and a fitness for duty test before being allowed on a job site.”
Phased Return Mandated by B.C. Government
Trans Mountain workers will be able to return to work in full force in B.C. and Alberta, except in Northern Health, affecting work in Valemount in particular.
Its after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry introduced a new order affecting five major construction projects in northern B.C. requiring they bring back employees in phases until the end of February. The order was brought in to limit the spread of COVID-19 while taking pressure off of healthcare facilities in the northern parts of the province.
Trans Mountain expects to have about 600 workers on the job by the middle of this month. The company added about a 100 workers last month to the 50 kept on over the holidays.
As of Oct. 31, 2020, there were approximately 7,300 people working on the pipeline project though the company and its contractors say they’ve hired about 8,470 people with about 3,645 people who are residents of British Columbia.
Trans Mountain says it remains committed to ensuring that the project is completed on time, with the pipeline expected to be in service by Dec. 2022.
Kamloops hotels looking forward to construction resuming
The hotel industry in Kamloops is expecting business to be up after it took another hit when Trans Mountain workers went home when the project was put on hold.
While some workers were staying in rental housing or RV Parks, many were living out of local hotels.
Kamloops Accommodation Association president Tyson Andrykew says local hotels are looking forward to the project resuming.
“On a local scale here, the Trans Mountain workers who were staying here were certainly helping our accommodations, food services, kind of the retail sector that’s been struggling so heavily. It was certainly a nice boost,” he said, on the NL Morning News.
In the fall there were more than 150 out-of-town workers town working on the pipeline in Kamloops.
“It wouldn’t of made sense for them to stick around in town when things were shut down,” Andrykew added. “We are looking forward to the return of the project. I think with all the news around Keystone being shut down, Trans Mountain is that much more important now, for Canada as a whole.”
– With files from Colton Davies
