A charity operating several schools across B.C. has received a nearly $64,000 penalty after a worker installing a roof on a new building fell to their death.
The school, located in Mission, is operated by the Satnam Education Society of British Columbia, a charity that runs the Khalsa Schools of B.C., a collection of Sikh learning institutions that represent the largest network of private schools in the province.
WorkSafeBC imposed the administrative penalty on the charity in August, though its existence was only revealed last week.
An investigation by the health and safety agency found the subcontracted firm had failed to appoint a site safety coordinator and “did not have a system in place to ensure hazards were mitigated.”
“As prime contractor of a multiple-employer workplace, the firm failed to do everything reasonable to establish and maintain a system of regulatory compliance.”
Lawyer Jaspreet Malik, who represents the society, said the incident occurred in Mission where the charity operates its camps. In August 2020, a suspected arson attack burned down the gymnasium. The worker death came as they tried to build back from the fire, said Malik.
“It really is a sad story,” said Malik. “He wasn’t wearing fall equipment.”
Malik said the charity appealed the penalty in December on grounds that it shouldn’t be held responsible for the contractor's oversights on safety. He said they are expecting a decision sometime in 2024.
Founded by Malik's father, Ripudaman Singh Malik, the society opened the first school in Vancouver in 1986, and has since opened schools in Surrey and a Aldergrove.
In 2005, the elder Malik was one of the two men acquitted of mass murder and conspiracy charges related to the Air India bombing case. He was shot dead July 14, 2022, in Surrey in a case that remains before the courts.
