WorkSafeBC: Okay to be solo on graveyard shift

By

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – WorkSafeBC says convenience stores don’t need two people to work overnight shifts for safety reasons anymore. A man whose son was killed trying to stop a gas and dash in Maple Ridge in 2005 is disgusted with the ruling.

Doug De Patie’s son Grant was dragged for more than seven kilometres when he tried to stop Darnell Pratt from stealing $12 of gas.

He’s been fighting against allowing people to work by themselves on the graveyard shift ever since. “I want to know who we’re going to come to when someone is killed. Is it the safety auditors? Is it the employers? Or is it WorkSafeBC? To me they are really opening a door to hide behind.”

The ruling says instead of having two people on shift, convenience stores can follow other safety procedures.  This includes time lock safes that can’t be opened during late night hours, video surveillance and limited amounts of cash.

Convenience store owners claim the ruling will help them improve safety

Western Canadian Convenience Store Association Chair Len McGeouch says shop owners will save a lot of money by not having a second worker on the late shift, money he says could be better spent.

“This gives us the opportunity for stores to increase our levels of security, have a security audit done of our stores, and bring the level of security up to the required result of the security audit.”

The WorkSafeBC ruling actually recommends that second staff member be there but McGeough says the decision now ultimately lies with a storeowner.

Top Stories

Top Stories

Most Watched Today