Injuries
State of Safety 2025
Monitoring Injuries Across the Safety System
The number of injuries reported to us in a given year provides an important indicator of the impacts of the hazards inherent in regulated equipment. Together with industry, our goal is to minimize incidents and injuries by identifying, understanding, and reducing risk across the safety system.
We receive injury reports and descriptions from operators or first responders at the time of, or immediately following, the incident. Injury reports are based on evidence available during investigation, and any long-term effects of an injury are not reflected in the statistics.
Nine injuries* were ranked as “major” in 2025. There were two fatal injuries* reported this year. The fatalities were related to an accident involving an amusement ride and a carbon monoxide exposure due to a malfunctioning furnace.
*These numbers do not include injuries in the Railways technology.
2
Fatal incidents in 2025
9
Injuries rated as major in 2025 (excluding Railways)
Fatal Carbon Monoxide Exposure
On February 24, 2025, a fatal carbon monoxide (CO) incident occurred in a Castlegar, BC home with a rental suite upstairs and an owner-occupied suite downstairs. The CO leak originated from an improperly repaired and separated vent pipe on a high-efficiency natural gas furnace, which allowed flue gases to enter and accumulate in the living space of the units. One upstairs tenant was sadly found deceased, and the homeowner, living in the basement suite where the furnace was located, was hospitalized with severe CO poisoning. There were no CO alarms installed in the home.
The investigation found that the furnace was likely improperly installed in 2007, and following installation, was not maintained regularly. At some point, the draft inducer bolts had been loosened, which resulted in abnormally high levels of CO being produced. Despite recommendations to repair or replace the furnace starting in 2021, no action was taken.
This incident underscores the life-threatening risks of poorly maintained gas appliances and the importance of proper installation, routine servicing, and CO detection.
Fatal Injury Involving Zipper Ride
An experienced amusement ride attendant who did not typically work with the Zipper ride had volunteered to assist the ride operator. During a typical pause in operation of the ride, the attendant stepped into the ride’s path to collect fallen items from underneath the ride. At the same time, the operator running the ride was approached and distracted by members of the public.
A few seconds later, the operator resumed ride operations in the opposite direction, unaware that the attendant was still in the path of the ride. A passenger carrying unit then struck the attendant, tragically causing fatal injuries.
Factors that contributed to the incident included no communication between attendant and the operator, limited physical barriers that allowed the public to interfere with the operator, and routine unsafe practice of working inside dangerous areas.
Injury Categories
Fatal | An injury causing death. |
Major | An injury where residual effects are likely to significantly affect long-term quality of life. |
Moderate | An injury where residual effects are unlikely to significantly affect long-term quality of life. E.g., temporary loss of consciousness, fractures, concussions. |
Minor | An injury where there are typically no residual effects and recovery is expected. E.g., bruises, cuts, minor disorientation or confusion. |
Insignificant | An injury where there are typically no residual effects and full recovery is expected. E.g., temporary pain and discomfort. |
Injuries by Year in All Technologies
Click to Enlarge
Injuries by Technology Except Railway
Click to Enlarge
Turning Incidents into Safety Insights
We investigate incidents to learn more about the factors that lead to technical failure or the potential for increased safety risk. We publish incident investigation reports to document our findings across all technologies, excluding railways, and then share this information to empower clients and the public to make better safety-minded decisions. In 2025, the number of incidents reported to us decreased by 2.5%.
You Might Be Interested In
Top 5 Safety Risks
From carbon monoxide to electrical shock and fire, learn about the Top 5 Safety Risks we identified for 2025.
Learn MoreBuilding Confidence
Learn how we’re addressing obstacles to safe decision-making and safe behavior in BC.
Learn MoreSafety in Focus
In 2025, we focused on grey market work, shared accountability, and modern safety oversight.
Learn More