Employer set to appear in court next month
Newfoundland construction employer Emmanuel Construction Services Limited is facing nine charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act related to the death of one its workers.
The employer is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 28, reported CBC.
The 59-year-old man lost his life in November 2020 while working at a site in Terra Nova National Park.
He was taken to hospital but died of his injuries.
Read more: Union demands police, government investigate Come By Chance explosion
Newfoundland’s Department of Digital Government and Service investigated the incident and the company has been charged with:
Failure to provide a safe workplace and the necessary equipment, systems and tools that are without risk to workers.
- Failure to provide the information, instruction, training, supervision and facilities to ensure a safe workplace.
- Failure to ensure workers, and especially supervisors, are made familiar with the hazards.
- Failure to ensure that work procedures promote the safe interaction of workers and their work environment.
- Failure to ensure that a guardrail cannot move in any direction if it is struck.
- Failure to ensure that a guardrail has a toprail and a midrail.
- Failure to ensure that each machine and piece of equipment is selected, used and operated in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, safe work practices and the regulations.
- Failure to ensure a work platform 1.22 metres above grade has guardrails on all open sides and ends that comply with the guardrail requirements in the regulations.
- Ensure that an elevating work platform meets the requirements of the appropriate standard.
Recently, the United Steelworkers (USW) union called on the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to conduct a criminal investigation into the Sept. 2 explosion at the Placentia Bay facility in Come By Chance which took the life of one worker and injured seven others.
In September, the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) laid the charges against Newfoundland and Labrador employer Transocean Canada Drilling Services. The two charges were in relation to a workplace injury aboard the Transocean Barents oil rig in the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area (Offshore Area) three years ago.
Previously, Johnson’s Construction Limited – another NL company – was charged following an incident that caused fatal injuries to an employee.
