The Mac's Convenience Store in Lumby is pictured in this image from Google Street View.
Image Credit: Google Street View
May 02, 2016 - 1:26 PM
LUMBY - A new, teenaged employee was working alone for the first time on the night shift when a man came into Mac’s Convenience Store in Lumby and held a knife to her, according to a WorkSafe B.C. inspection report.
The WorkSafe investigation, which found two contraventions of safety regulations, was launched after a robbery at Mac’s Convenience Store in Lumby that happened about 1 a.m. Sunday, April 24. The man made off with cash, lottery tickets and tobacco after threatening the lone female employee with a knife and forcing her to sit on the floor behind the till.
There are three options for employers who have people working alone or in isolation between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. They include separating the employee from the public with a barrier, having more than one person on shift, or implementing a violence prevention program with numerous requirements. Mac’s uses the third option, which means workers can be alone, without a barrier or locked door, as long as safety regulations are met.
A WorkSafe B.C. prevention officer visited the store April 26 and discovered the employee working the night of the robbery was under 19. It was her first time working alone on the night shift.
According to the inspection report, workers must be at least 19 years old to work overnight. They must also be provided with a personal emergency transmitter monitored by a security company. Mac’s told the investigator such a device was provided to the employee, however she did not use it during the robbery.
The business was also found to be in contravention with a requirement that a time lock safe be located on the premises that cannot be opened during late night hours. A safe in the convenience store did not have a time lock and the worker had access to the contents in the safe at the time of the robbery. It was reported the safe and cash register contained more than $200.
Mac’s has to submit a compliance report by May 18 specifying what has been done to comply with the orders. It is also required to submit a full incident investigation to WorkSafe by May 24.
Police continue to investigate the incident and are asking anyone with information about the robbery to contact the Lumby detachment at 250-547-2151, or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
The suspect is described as 5’6”, with a medium build. He was wearing a grey or light brown hoodie, blue or black pants, dark running shoes with a white line on the sole, a black mask covering his lower face, sunglasses and black and yellow mechanic’s gloves.
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