Unforgiving low wage environment now made safer in B.C.

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.

Crime Watch Canada Magazine published this story last year and sent it across the nation

When self-serve gasoline sales began in the 1970s people became accustomed to driving up to the pump and serving themselves. Everybody knows it comes time to pay immediately after pumping, but, sadly, for a few, the time to pay doesn’t seem to come. They will drive away from the bill and in the gasoline sales industry are known as ‘driveaways’. Changes in the industry are making it harder for driveaways to ‘get away’ with stealing gas.

As technology spreads to satisfy consumer demand for convenience and safety it will be ending many of the opportunities for theft. Systems of pre-authorized payment do exist, for example several years ago Shell Canada introduced EasyPay, a ‘key ring’ that works with a credit card. EasyPay permits one-touch purchase at the till (or sometimes at the pump). It is a convenient and safe transaction that the majors have put in place.

Of course, no technology is required for any station to establish a "pre-pay" system, simply by having customers come to the kiosk and pay before they pump. This is the simplest form of pre-pay which does not involve too much technology. Renovations are done to offer new services that add convenience and security to the station. Gas stations shut down for a month to install new pumps and the latest in computers, cameras, and other surveillance systems. Details on who covers or shares costs of any such modifications are based on contractual relationships between gas station owners and petroleum companies.

Ted Stoner, Vice President of the Canadian Petroleum Products Institute, Western Region, with offices in Calgary, Alberta, said members of the CPPI, like Shell Canada, are at the centre of an almost endless variety of ownership models that market gasoline. At present various contractors are doing installations of new technology almost everywhere in the country. The owners of the equipment are making renovations for a combination of reasons including system upgrades that offer the customer security upgrades which are amalgamated into the design.

Simone Marler, Shell Canada’s media relation department, said, "The driveaway issue is very unfortunate and an on-going issue for our business, as theft is in any retail sector, and it has been for a long time." She said Shell Canada has installed the EasyPay pump system across Canada and now have 600 outlets, "and customers are beginning to use it. It is convenient and safe." EasyPay information at the www.shell.ca motorists’ site is useful to learn about secure purchasing of gasoline. She said the company has a continuing goal to produce a safe environment to conduct business.

In one jurisdiction the sale of gasoline has become controversial. In B.C. the controversy stems from "Grant’s Law," a proposed law to remember Grant Depatie who died in a driveaway gasoline theft, dragged for seven km from an Esso station where he worked in Maple Ridge, B.C. His parents lobbied successfully for a law that would require pre-paid gasoline purchases between the hours 10 P.M. and 6 A.M.

Driveaways are robberies, but the robbers are usually sneaky, more like shoplifters (with a 4000 lb steel shopping cart). The theft is immediately apparent to everybody because a pump requires ‘clearing’ for the next customer. Actual numbers for driveaways are not discussed. Police never hear the half of it because robbers slip through at busy moments when employees are caught unawares. Companies require reports from employees delivered to a toll-free number and companies liaise with local police to add security details. It is not a happy story.

No amount of training can prepare employees for the experience of driveaway theft of gasoline. No doubt Grant Depatie died out of sheer frustration, chasing the one he thought he could catch. The CPPI provides employees with the basic instructions about safety first. The large companies are very diligent to advise employees about safety in dealing with theft. The same instructions go out from the 60 percent of retail outlets owned by independent businesses

It is the independent business owners who abide by safety standards, regulations, and concerns in the communities where they own businesses and their duty to employ safety regulations, CPPI members or not.) In fact, for the big brand players that are also CPPI members, including the Shells, Huskys, Imperials, and the rest, control over the management of gas stations is less than 40% in Canada.

The large companies have ownership of stations that have high throughputs. They often receive newer technology driven by customer demand for speed and convenience and hence the location can be a large determinant in station modifications. Stoner said, "I think the business of providing secure transactions is happening fast enough." As for the overall methods to providing security and surveillance, "There is always stuff behind the scenes that folks aren’t aware of, which is the only way to make protection practices effective. Members of the CPPI have stations that are basically involved in ‘best management practices’."

Stoner added, "What we have said is that a lot of thought has gone into stores for the safety of employees and the public. Will prepay stem the tide of driveaway thefts?" It remains an open question, as are the suggestions of making changes in regulatory environment. "The key point is that the CPPI membership is not for or against regulatory changes, as long as they are applied consistently across the board" said Stoner. "Some have asked if further violence inside the store would be the outcome."

CPPI members give clear safety instruction to gasoline station employees, "Do not stand in harms way," said Stoner, "Safety of the public, consumers and site employees is paramount." Stoner said recent news about a gas station employee chasing people with golf clubs is out of question. CPPI members provide basic safety instructions, care for customers, work in safe conditions, and all employees kept out of harms way. www.cppi.ca