Mother of man killed on the job at tire shop demands higher penalties

The mother of a 19-year-old man killed on the job at a Kamloops tire shop is demanding higher penalties for the company and increased training and safety protocols. 

Kara Stokes said her son Brendan had been working at Kamloops Tirecraft since October or November of 2017, with hopes to start a career as a mechanic. He was on a service call on June 29, 2018, when he was crushed by a loader that slipped off the hydraulic jack, causing fatal injuries.

She said she was "shell-shocked" when she found out the company was being fined $8,400 for the death of her son. 

"To be honest, as a grieving mother, nothing will ever make me feel better about this. I just can't believe that that is such a minimal penalty for making the mistake that they did," Stokes told Daybreak Kamloops host Shelley Joyce.

"I still can't believe that that is the number that they would put on a loss of life."

She has signed an online petition, launched by her son's friend, Ashlyn Sunderman, with the goal of increasing the penalty for Kamloops Tirecraft. As of Monday afternoon, it had received more than 3,500 signatures. 

In an emailed statement to CBC, WorkSafeBC said administrative penalties are set in legislation and are based on the employer's payroll, the nature of the violation and the employer's history of violations. 

"An administrative penalty does not, and cannot, reflect the tragic loss of life that occurred at Kamloops Tirecraft in 2018," it said. 

More training required

Stokes said more training is needed to prevent something like this from happening to someone else. 

"Young workers who don't know what to expect need to have that proper training set and have certain standards that just weren't there," she said. 

"There have been times where he had expressed concerns about safety to other coworkers and friends, and that I think is one of the biggest issues here is that you know he didn't know what not to do and what to do."

The WorkSafeBC investigation found that Kamloops Tirecraft failed to provide its workers with adequate training and instructions and failed to assess their ability to do that particular job.

It also found, based on documents from Kamloops Tirecraft, that safety meetings were not conducted monthly, and no workplace inspections were performed or documented, both of which are outlined in the company's health and safety policy.

Kamloops Tirecraft declined a request for an interview but sent an emailed statement to CBC. General manager Graham O'Connor said Brendan's death has been "the most difficult situation" he has ever dealt with.

"Since the accident, we have worked hard to ensure our workplace complies with all safety regulations," he said. "For example, our Off the Road tire technicians have completed Tire Industry Association training certification for OTR tire service. We have also updated and reviewed our safety manuals, training and protocols to ensure we are following all WorkSafeBC policies."

O'Connor also said the company intends to set up an automotive scholarship fund in Brendan's name.

Read the full WorksafeBC Report: