Unfortunately, coroner's inquests by their very nature are usually proof that we have failed people.
The inquest into the death of three Langley farmworkers in 2008 is one of the most tragic cases of hindsight we have seen in quite awhile.
The farmworkers died, and two others suffered severe brain damage, when they went into a pump shed to unplug a pipe and encountered deadly fumes.
Testimony at the inquest, similar to that at a previous trial, revealed a series of actions and inactions by the owners and operators of the farm that can only be seen as wilful negligence. The operators of the farm ignored regulations, and because of that the facility was scheduled to be shut down the day after the workers died. Obviously the farm owners had discovered that warnings from the government can mean very little.
And who can blame them? A trial stemming from the deaths resulted in a $350,000 fine to the company - surely a pittance given the loss of life.
The inquest jury came out with 15 recommendations. All of them are commonsense solutions: more training, stricter regulations, more on-site inspections, more staff.
We expect the government and WorkSafe B.C. will approve of the concept but will have a harder time instituting the recommendations.
The agricultural sector is a large employer, and one that uses seasonal workers who often don't speak English. Unscrupulous employers rely on new immigrants' desperate economic situations and ignorance of health and safety regulations. Workers who are struggling to feed their families are less apt to argue with a boss who can replace them with another, much more compliant, worker.
Above all else, we need to ensure that facilities with any potential dangers can be shut down immediately. If there is the slightest possibility that a worker may be injured or killed, operations should cease - period.
Warnings are simply not good enough when workers' lives are on the line.
