Several measures are in place to keep workers safe at 91原创 Township-run ice arenas, says the municipality鈥檚 recreation manager.

This in the wake of the tragedy in Fernie, where two city workers and one out-of-town contractor were .

91原创 Township operates the ice and curling rinks at the George Preston Recreation Centre, as well as the ice rink at Aldergrove Arena.

Both facilities are aging, with the GPRC about to celebrate the 44th anniversary of its opening of Nov. 8, 1973.

Community recreation manager Rob Stare noted that ammonia control plans are set up at both facilities, as required by Worksafe BC.

鈥淭hen there are safe work procedures that are part of that 鈥� the regular processes for maintenance,鈥� Stare added.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to have the things that deal with personal protective equipment, evacuation procedures, that kind of thing.鈥�

Alarm systems are installed in each of the ammonia plants with sensors that would alert workers to levels of ammonia.

鈥淏efore you go into the room you鈥檇 look at the panel, it says zero, then you鈥檙e safe to go in and do the work that you need to do,鈥� Stare said. 鈥淓very two hours they do readings at the plant鈥� the compressors, where they鈥檙e at, so it鈥檚 monitored 24/7 and the preventative maintenence that goes on, on a regular basis.鈥�

In Fernie, the arena was closed Tuesday for repairs to the refrigeration service, according to a statement from the city.

Reports of the ammonia leak came in at about 11:30 a.m. Firefighters arrived at the arena to find one person who was taken to hospital after receiving CPR. Two others were discovered shortly after, and the area was evacuated.

Stare said any leaks at the Township rinks have been small and controlled, and rectified.

鈥淚t鈥檚 rare to hear about a large-scale ammonia leak, 鈥渁nd even more rare to hear of a death,鈥� he added.

鈥淭o hear about three, it鈥檚 pretty shocking,鈥� Stare said. 鈥淚t would had to have been something outside the normal, what you plan for. Our hearts obviously go out to the families and friends of all those people affected, there.鈥�

At the 91原创 Events Centre, which opened in 2009 and is home to the Western Hockey League鈥檚 Vancouver Giants and several other sports teams, general manager Derek Cooke said the events centre has a 鈥渢op-of-the-line system.鈥�

鈥淲e have monitored alarms in place,鈥� Cooke said. 鈥淚f there is any leak detected at very low levels, the alarm system will go off, so it notifies the monitoring company. And that鈥檚 at levels that aren鈥檛 dangerous or deadly.鈥�

Cooke said there are a series of different alarms depending on the levels of ammonia that are detected.

鈥淲e have evacuation plans in order if necessary to evacuate the building that our operations staff oversees,鈥� Cooke said.

Recently, all of the valves at the LEC were resurfaced as part of routine maintenence.

鈥淲e鈥檝e never had any safety issues here, to the best of my knowledge,鈥� Cooke said.

The events centre鈥檚 ammonia plant is in a locked room that doesn鈥檛 allow access to most LEC workers and the general public.

鈥淥nly a few of us have keys that would access that area,鈥� Cooke said.