Emma Wilson
A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. was a mushroom composting facility in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. On September 5, 2008, a tragic incident occurred at the facility, resulting in the deaths of three workers and permanent brain damage to two others. An investigation by WorkSafeBC revealed a lack of health and safety measures, inadequate worker training, and poor communication due to language barriers. The company faced legal consequences, including fines, and eventually went bankrupt. The incident brought attention to the need for improved safety measures in the mushroom farming industry, with subsequent inspections revealing similar safety plan deficiencies at other farms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Langley, British Columbia |
| Year of Incident | 2008 |
| Date of Incident | September 5 |
| Number of Deaths | 3 |
| Number of Injuries | 2 |
| Fines | $200,000 |
| Status | Bankrupt |
| Safety Measures | None |
| Safety Training | None |
| Safety Equipment | None |
| Safety Complaints | Ignored |
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What You'll Learn
A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. faced 29 charges for failures in health and safety
On September 5, 2008, three workers died and two were left permanently brain-damaged at A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia. The tragedy was caused by a blocked intake pipe at the bottom of a pump shed on the company's premises. An investigation by WorkSafeBC revealed that the incident was preventable and that A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. had failed to implement basic health and safety measures.
The investigation found that A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. did not have a health and safety program in place for any of its operations. Workers were not educated about potential dangers and were not provided with proper safety equipment. They had no knowledge of the hazards presented by the byproducts of the composting process, with some complaining of eye and throat irritation while working in the composting barns. The company also failed to address workers' safety complaints, and there was a lack of communication between the English-speaking operations manager and the Vietnamese and Cantonese-speaking workers.
In August 2010, A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. faced 29 charges for failures in health and safety, along with H.V. Truong Ltd. and four individuals. These charges included general failures to ensure worker health and safety, provide workers with information, instruction, training, and supervision, and ensure confined space hazards were eliminated or minimized.
In May 2011, the two companies and three individuals pleaded guilty to 10 counts of the 29 charges. A-1 Mushroom Substratum was fined $200,000 and has since gone bankrupt. The tragedy highlighted the need for improved safety measures in the mushroom farming industry, with WorkSafeBC launching an inspection blitz and farms struggling to implement safety plans to protect workers from toxic gases.
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Three workers died and two were left brain dead
On September 5, 2008, three workers died and two were left permanently brain dead at A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia. The incident occurred when workers attempted to clear a blocked intake pipe at the bottom of a pump shed. The pipe had become clogged with straw and chicken manure, which had also built up in the water recycling system.
The supervisor directed two workers to clear the blockage at a butterfly valve in the pipe. When the valve was opened, one worker collapsed, believed to have been felled by a sudden release of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas in an oxygen-deficient environment. Other workers, unaware of the hazardous conditions, entered the shed to attempt a rescue. In total, five workers from the three businesses that made up the processing facility were removed from the shed.
A WorkSafeBC investigation found that there was a general failure to ensure worker health and safety at A-1 Mushroom Substratum. The company did not have a health and safety program, and workers were not educated on possible dangers or provided with proper safety equipment. The pump shed was never identified as a confined space, and no plan was in place for workers to enter and work safely. There was also a language barrier between the plumber and the operations manager, which contributed to poor communication.
In 2010, 29 occupational health and safety charges were laid against A-1 Mushroom Substratum, resulting in fines of $200,000 for the company, which has since gone bankrupt. The tragedy highlighted the need for improved safety measures in the mushroom farming industry, with similar farms struggling to implement safety plans even years after the incident.
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The incident was caused by a blocked pipe
On September 5, 2008, a blocked pipe at A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia, led to a tragic incident that resulted in multiple casualties. The pipe, located at the bottom of a pump shed, was clogged with straw and chicken manure, which are byproducts of the mushroom composting process.
The incident occurred when workers attempted to clear the blocked intake pipe. The supervisor directed two workers to a valve about 8 feet below the shed entrance. As they began to work on the valve, a small amount of liquid started to flow out, and one of the workers noticed a strange smell before collapsing. The supervisor exited the shed to summon help, but other workers, unaware of the hazardous conditions, entered the shed and were exposed to the toxic environment.
The blockage in the pipe was caused by a buildup of straw and chicken manure, which should have been prevented with proper screens and management. The plumber who had been called in previously had instructed the workers to keep straw clear of the area, but his directions were neglected, leading to the pipe becoming blocked.
The incident could have been avoided if A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. had implemented adequate health and safety measures. There was a lack of safety equipment, and workers were not educated about the hazards of the composting process or the dangers of confined spaces. The company's disregard for worker safety resulted in tragic consequences, with three workers losing their lives, two being left permanently brain-damaged, and multiple charges and fines levied against the company.
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The company was fined $200,000
On September 5, 2008, a tragic incident at A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia, resulted in the deaths of three workers and left two others with severe permanent injuries. The incident occurred due to a blocked intake pipe in a pump shed on the premises. An investigation by WorkSafeBC revealed a multitude of health and safety hazards and operational failures at A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd.
The investigation found that A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. did not have a health and safety program in place and had failed to provide their workers with essential safety information, instruction, training, and supervision. The workers were unaware of the dangers posed by the byproducts of the composting process, and no safety equipment was provided to them. The pump shed, where the incident occurred, was not identified as a confined space, and there was no plan or protocol in place for workers to enter and work safely in such an environment.
As a result of these failures, the company, along with another involved company and three individuals, faced a total of 29 occupational health and safety charges. In the end, three of the accused pleaded guilty to 10 of the 29 charges. A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. was ultimately fined $200,000, which was considered a relatively light punishment by some, including the labour critic for the New Democratic Party in British Columbia, who characterised the penalty as a "slap on the wrist".
The incident highlighted the need for stricter safety regulations and oversight in the mushroom farming industry, particularly regarding the handling of hazardous materials and the importance of confined space safety protocols. Unfortunately, even years after the tragedy, similar farms were still struggling to implement adequate safety measures, indicating a persistent issue within the industry.
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The incident occurred in September 2008
On the morning of September 5, 2008, a plumber was called to A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. in Langley, British Columbia. He found an intake pipe at the bottom of a pump shed completely blocked and informed a supervisor at the mushroom composting facility that a company with expertise in sewer pump-out would be needed. The supervisor did not heed this advice. Instead, under his direction, two workers tried to clear a blockage at a butterfly valve in the pipe. Within seconds of prying open a flange, one worker dropped face down into water at the bottom of the shed, believed to have been felled by a sudden release of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) gas in an oxygen-deficient environment.
As the first worker collapsed, the second worker remained with him as the supervisor exited the pump shed to summon help. Other workers from all three businesses on the site, unaware of the hazardous conditions in the shed, entered the shed to attempt a rescue. Five workers from the three businesses that made up the processing facility—A-1 Mushroom Substratum, H.V. Truong Ltd., and Farmers’ Fresh Mushrooms Inc.—were removed from the shed. Ut Van Tran, 35, Chi Wai Chan, 55, and Han Duc Pham, 47, died; Tchen Phan remained in a wheelchair, and Michael Phan was left comatose.
A WorkSafeBC investigation into the incident found that there were no safety measures in place for workers, who were only told to “be careful” on an informal basis. A common theme that emerged was an apparent complete disregard for the safety of workers at A-1 Mushroom’s composting facility. The company did not have a health and safety program for any of its operations. The workers were not educated on possible dangers nor were they provided with proper safety equipment. According to the report:
> "The workers had no knowledge of the hazards presented by the byproducts of the composting process. Some complained of eye and throat irritation while working in the composting barns, and were provided with dust masks and goggles... The pump shed was never identified as a confined space and no plan was in place for workers to enter the shed and work safely. None of the workers who attempted rescue had any knowledge of confined spaces or the hazardous atmosphere that they would encounter."
Furthermore, the build-up of straw and chicken manure that clogged the pipe in the first place should never have happened. There were no screens used to help prevent these materials from entering the system and no action plan to deal with them when they did enter the water recycling system. The plumber called in to fix the pipe had told the workers many times on prior visits to keep straw clear of the area, but his instructions were neglected. A language barrier also likely contributed to poor communication between the plumber and A-1 Mushroom Substratum’s operations manager, both of whom spoke only English, and among the property owner, supervisor and workers, who spoke Vietnamese and/or Cantonese, but little or no English.
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Frequently asked questions
A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. was a mushroom composting facility in Langley, British Columbia.
On September 5, 2008, a blocked pipe at the facility led to the release of hydrogen sulphide gas, resulting in the deaths of three workers and permanent brain damage in two others.
Yes, in 2010, 29 charges were laid against A-1 Mushroom Substratum, and they were eventually fined $200,000 after pleading guilty to 10 counts related to failures in worker health and safety. The company has since gone bankrupt.
