Worker fell to death after being ejected from an aerial work platform
The worker, Mathieu Mathieu-Pépin was a welder for Carrière Ray-Car, a division of Sintra, Inc. The latter specializes in road construction. The events took place in the evening of Oct 22. 2019. in Saint-Flavien, Quebec.
Mathieu-Pépin intended to go and check on the transmission device of a belt conveyor system with the help of lifting equipment. He sat down in the aerial command post, which was around 36 feet off the ground. Mathieu-Pépin moved the machine to be able to start working, one of the wheels got stuck in a small cavity which destabilised the whole machine. The worker, who was not wearing a harness at the time, was ejected from the command post and fell. He was transported to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) released its report on the incident last week.
CNESST is an organization which administers Quebec’s occupational health and safety plan. It is mandated by the provincial government. Under this plan workers can be compensated for employment injuries and conversely employers are protected under the plan against legal action.
Following the incident, CNESST had banned the use of the lifting equipment used by the worker. After inspection, the organization has allowed its use again.
Furthermore, CNESST demanded that the verification process of the pression of the tires of the lifting device be corrected. Additionally, they have demanded that there be a better procedure in place for when the command post is elevated as well as better supervision of whether workers are wearing a security harness. The employer has conformed to all of CNESST’s demands.
Source: CNESST
