Published on: May 16, 2023

The Kelowna RCMP and WorkSafeBC express our thoughts and empathy for those who have been impacted by the crane collapse in July 2021, including the families, friends, colleagues, and members of the public who want answers about this tragic incident that claimed the lives of five workers.

Almost two years ago, the Kelowna RCMP and WorkSafeBC launched independent, parallel investigations into this complex incident.

As the two-year mark of this tragic event nears, the Kelowna RCMP and WorkSafeBC are providing an update on the status of their respective investigations.

Status of RCMP Investigation

• The Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit continues to actively investigate the collapse of a crane in downtown Kelowna on July 12, 2021.
• The criminal investigation is independent and separate from the regulatory investigation conducted by WorkSafeBC, and focuses only on determining if any criminal elements are present. When police determine criminality in a case, they compile a report and forward this information to the BC Prosecution Service for charge consideration.
• The criminal investigation into this incident is extensive and complex, and as such, it is anticipated that this investigation will remain ongoing for an extended period.
• Among some of the complexities of this case, police are working through thousands of pieces of evidence and seized documentation, and consulting with our partners nationally.
• In order to protect the integrity of the criminal investigation, Kelowna RCMP are unable to provide specific details with respect to the investigation at this time.

Status of WorkSafeBC Investigation

• Over the last 22 months, WorkSafeBC has worked with subject-matter experts and engineers to examine the crane components, sequence of events, and work procedures that took place during the crane dismantling process. WorkSafeBC investigators also examined all relevant documentation and other evidence, in addition to conducting witness interviews.
• The primary purpose of WorkSafeBC’s investigation has been to identify the cause of the incident, and any contributing factors, so that similar incidents can be prevented from happening in the future.
• WorkSafeBC’s incident investigation report into the Kelowna crane collapse is now complete and can be made available to the Kelowna RCMP via a judicial authorization. A decision has been made, in consultation with the RCMP, to not release the WorkSafeBC investigation report publicly, at this time, to ensure it does not jeopardize the ongoing and concurrent criminal investigation.
• Although the WorkSafeBC investigation report is not being released, over the last 22 months, WorkSafeBC has continued to incorporate key learnings about tower crane assembly, disassembly, or repositioning into its ongoing crane safety initiatives.

Additional resources

• Media backgrounder: WorkSafeBC Investigations
• Media backgrounder: Tower Crane Safety

For more information, contact:

Media Relations Unit, Kelowna RCMP
Email: Kelowna_Media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Tel: 250.762.3300

Media Relations, WorkSafeBC
Email: media@worksafebc.com
Tel: 604.276.5157