A worker was seriously injured on October 26 after he fell about six metres down a ventilation shaft at a 26-storey condominium tower under construction in Burnaby, British Columbia.

At about 3:30 pm, the worker was installing metal grates on the top of a ventilation shaft when he fell, says Neil Chrystal, president and CEO of Vancouver-based Polygon Homes Ltd, the developer of the condo site. The shaft is designed to allow air to pass through into an underground parking garage.

Chrystal says it's believed that the worker, who is in his 60s, was not properly using fall protection equipment. "As far as we know, he wasn't tied off when he slipped," Chrystal says. "Obviously, he fell the distance tying off would have prevented," he says, arguing that he believes the worker fell closer to five metres.

The company is not looking at any changes to procedures, but is waiting for WorkSafeBC to "conclude their investigation to confirm what happened."

Donna Freeman, director of media relations with the agency, says that the injured worker was part of a two-person crew working at the Luma, a residential high-rise construction project. No orders had been issued, she says, adding that WorkSafeBC's investigation will determine "whether or not fall protection equipment was required and if so, if it was worn."