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| 7-11 in BC already has 24 / 7 pay before you pump rules |
PHOTO CREDITS Mack McColl
Grant De Patie died in the night of Mar 8 05, dragged mercilessly under a car for 7.5 km by a pair of teenage gasoline thieves; his body became so mangled that the mortuary would not allow family to pay their respects in viewing his remains. Two and a half years later, on Oct 4 07, Doug and Corrine De Patie succeeded in a tireless lobby to create legislation through WorkSafe BC that makes customers 'pay before they pump' in British Columbia cities 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It is a powerful bid to end the flow of gasoline thefts across the province.
Last year Crime Watch Canada magazine reported the problem of gasoline theft at retail outlets across the country. As the story then stated, the De Patie family had started a lobby for new laws to protect gas station employees who work alone at night. Grant's mother and father have since described his death as giving of his life to protect workers. Grant's Law passed, on what would have been his 27th birthday, and the family hopes Grant can now rest in peace, "knowing he prevented further carnage.''
Also important, the BC Federation of Labour lauded the new law by stating it hopes to see copies spread across the country (from Worker's Compensation counterparts) as soon as possible. The law makes pre-payment for fuel mandatory as of Feb 1 07 in B.C.. On Oct 4 Grant's dad called it a fitting tribute to a young man who, ironically, didn't even own a car, instead, he owned an expensive mountain bike and a zest for outdoor life.
WorkSafe BC has furthermore approved late-night safety procedures for outlets operating between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.. Roberta Ellis is the vice-president of policy investigations and review at WorkSafeBC, and said, under forthcoming new rules employers must ensure that people working alone at night are, "physically separated from the public with a locked door or some kind of barrier''.
New regulations will require employers to develop written procedures to ensure the safe handling of money. Ellis said, penalties for non-compliance are going to be fines of up to $500,00o, although, "the amount of the penalty is linked to the size of the payroll.'' Doug De Patie is optimistic violations will practically eliminate driveaway gasoline theft. He added that it is good news to see other workplace hazards addressed by Worksafe BC.
Grant was working alone on the overnight shift in Maple Ridge, B.C., when the thief drove away without paying for $12.30 worth of gas. In fact Grant had stepped in front of the car when the teenaged driver Darnell Pratt ran him over and dragged him to his death. Pratt ended up pleading guilty to manslaughter and received a nine year sentence to prison as an adult (a sentence that was later reduced on appeal to seven years).
Ellis said. "We have all been moved by (the de Patie family's) commitment to protecting workers who may be at risk of violence due to their location and hours of work.'' Jim Sinclair of the BC Federation of Labour called the new rules "the best in North America." New regulations include training and orientation for workers addressing theft, robbery, assaults, and confrontation.
A new 'working alone' regulation will require two people on the job, or barriers to protect workers behind the counter. Corrine de Patie says on the family's website memorial, "My husband, Doug and my father Chester Crellin worked diligently to get Grant's Law into regulations. If you enter 'Grant De Patie' in quotation marks in your search engine, you will see what he is all about. He is our hero, and died a horrific death." She described him as a outstanding family member and citizen, a law-abiding young man with a high sense of moral values, a virtual moral compass in the family.
Driveaways are robberies conducted by sneaky, cowardly bandits and while actual numbers for driveaway gasoline robbery are not discussed, it seems police never hear the half of it. The thieves often try to slide through at busy periods when employees are caught unawares and reporting is made to a central system run by a national petroleum sales association.
As CWC reported last year, no amount of training prepares employees for the humiliating experience of gasoline theft, so it appears these kinds of regulations are necessary for preventing the robberies. Grant De Patie may have died out of frustration by chasing the one he thought he could stop, but Grant has now made the world a safer place for people working in this unforgiving low-wage environment.
