A major B.C. timber company has been fined almost $111,000 after a worker who was cleaning wood fibre from inside a silo was buried, trapped and killed.

The incident occurred in January 2025 after a fire ignited inside a silo at West Fraser Timber Co.’s Westpine sawmill in Quesnel. Water used to put out the blaze led wood fibre inside the silo to freeze.

A subcontracted worker was later pressure washing the frozen fibre inside the silo when a “large volume” of it dislodged from an overhang, according to a recent summary of the incident from WorkSafeBC.

“The fibre blocked access to the silo hatch and engulfed the worker, who sustained fatal injuries,” stated WorkSafeBC.

Police said previously stated a 24-year-old man died in a maintenance incident.

A spokesperson for West Fraser said at the time that it was cooperating with the investigation and that its “thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased, and our team at Westpine.”

The resulting investigation from B.C.’s occupational health and safety agency later determined that as the prime contractor, the timber company was responsible for a multi-layered, high-risk failure.

The investigation found West Fraser failed to appoint an adequately trained person to oversee the confined space entry program.

No qualified person was found to have conducted a hazard assessment and no testing or inspection was carried out immediately before the worker entered the silo to ensure it was safe. 

The company was also found to have failed in its rescue preparedness: The worker’s harvest was not attached to a lifeline managed by a standby person, and the standby worker was not equipped or capable of using lifting equipment for an immediate rescue.

Rescue personnel were also found to be untrained and not improperly equipped, while the firm had failed to conduct mandatory annual rescue drills.

As the primary employer, West Fraser failed to maintain a system of regulatory compliance and failed to provide necessary safety information, training, and supervision to protect onsite workers, according to WorkSafeBC’s May 12 decision recently released to the public.

“These were all high-risk violations,” wrote the agency.

The resulting $110,855.83 penalty was applied to the company’s operating subsidiaries West Fraser Mills Ltd. and Eurocan Pulp & Paper.

In a statement Tuesday, the company’s subsidiary, West Fraser Mills Ltd., said it was “deeply saddened” over the incident.

West Fraser said it cooperated with the WorkSafeBC investigation, and following the incident, carried out a “comprehensive review of our safety programs, policies and procedures.” That included a focus on confined space work and managing the safety of contractors.

“West Fraser remains dedicated to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for all employees, contractors and visitors and we will continue to evaluate and strengthen our safety practices as part of that commitment,” the company added.

BIV’s free newsletters cover daily business, real estate, B.C. politics and more. Sign up here for B.C.’s most important business news delivered directly to your inbox.