BURSTA workplace incident involving combustible dust at Rio Tinto’s Kitimat smelter has resulted in a fine of nearly $800,000 – the third major penalty levied against the company for safety violations at the same site in less than two years.
The latest penalty, issued Nov. 20, 2025, stems from an incident in which a worker was operating an alloy system and a flame inside a manganese hopper caused pressure to dislodge a lid onto a nearby platform.
WorkSafeBC found the station had not been designed to handle manganese, a known combustible dust, and determined the company failed to ensure the workplace was properly planned and maintained to protect workers.
The violation was deemed both repeated and high risk. A stop-work order was issued.
Rio Tinto did not comment on the specifics of the incident, but a spokesperson said the company responded to the inspection findings.
“The health and safety of all employees and contractor workers is our priority at Rio Tinto BC Works,” the spokesperson said.
“We have acted immediately and thoroughly to address the concerns highlighted in the WorkSafeBC inspection report and are now compliant with the orders.”
BC Works is a significant contributor to the regional and provincial economy. In 2023, it contributed more than $517 million to British Columbia’s economy and supporting over 1,000 direct and indirect jobs in the region.
The fine adds to recent safety violations at the Kitimat smelter. In February 2025, the company was ordered to pay more than $710,000 after two subcontracted workers were injured in separate incidents – one suffered an electric shock, and another was hurt by unguarded machinery. Investigators cited multiple failures, including inadequate hazard controls and the absence of proper lockout procedures.
Earlier, in June 2024, WorkSafeBC issued a $783,000 fine after a worker was injured when an overhead crane struck an elevated platform during maintenance. The agency found no safe work procedures had been established for the task, and the crane had been returned to service before being certified as safe.
Rio Tinto’s BC Works is one of the largest industrial operations in the province.
It includes an upgraded smelter in Kitimat and the Kemano Powerhouse, which generates electricity from the Nechako Reservoir.
The 2016 multi-billion-dollar investment equipped the smelter with advanced AP technology designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in a facility that Rio Tinto touts as having one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.