Emergency crews responded to a workplace injury at the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital construction site after a worker fell from the third storey of a building under construction at the hospital campus.
Quick action by on-site crew and emergency services
Paramedics and members of Nanaimo Fire Rescue assisted in transferring the injured worker to an awaiting ambulance after the patient was lowered from the third storey to ground level using an on-site crane. BC Emergency Health Services later confirmed the patient was transported to hospital in serious but stable condition.
According to reporting at the scene, workers on site immediately stabilised the injured person before emergency crews arrived. The construction site’s crane was fitted with an attachable bucket, which crews used to rapidly lower the patient. Afterward, dozens of workers gathered around first responders for a debriefing.
“We were able to bring him down fairly easily,” MacKenzie told reporters, noting the same approach was used earlier this year at VIU’s dining hall construction project.
Investigation and broader campus context
The provincial workplace regulator, WorkSafeBC, has been notified and will conduct its own investigation into the circumstances of the fall. No additional details about the worker’s identity or the precise cause of the fall were released by officials at the time of reporting.
The incident occurred amid substantial construction activity across the NRGH campus. Current and planned projects cited at the site include a new cancer centre, a multi-level parkade and a family lodging project for hospital patients’ families. The cancer centre is projected to open in 2028, while the parkade is expected to fully open later this year. Jesse’s House, a 16-bed home-away-from-home for families, is hoped to be complete by next spring.
| Project | Status |
|---|---|
| NRGH Cancer Centre | Projected opening in 2028 |
| Three-storey parkade | Expected to fully open later this year |
| Jesse’s House (16 beds) | Hoped to be complete by next spring |
Local implications: safety on major building projects
Large projects at the NRGH campus are highly visible to Nanaimo residents and involve many contractors and tradespeople working in proximity. Health and safety incidents on any active site raise questions for residents about site management, oversight and the protocols used to protect workers and the public. The use of specialized equipment — in this case a crane with a bucket attachment — to assist an injured worker underlines the need for on-site emergency preparedness.
- BC Emergency Health Services confirmed the patient was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition.
- WorkSafeBC has been notified and will lead a formal investigation.
- On-site responders and workers reportedly stabilised the patient and used an attachable crane bucket to lower them to safety.
Municipal officials and project managers have not issued further public statements at the time of reporting. The outcome of WorkSafeBC's investigation will determine if there were breaches of workplace safety standards or if additional precautions are required across NRGH campus projects.
The incident is a reminder of the risks inherent in complex construction on steep timelines. As the hospital campus continues to expand, residents and elected officials will be watching for the investigation’s findings and any subsequent changes to safety practices at major building sites in Nanaimo.
