Eight workers in total hurt, construction work halted
Two of the eight workers who were injured on Friday during the explosion at a refinery in Newfoundland and Labrador are now out of the hospital.
Braya Renewable Fuels – the company which owns and operates the Come By Chance refinery – has also said that it has stopped construction work at the site, located 150 kilometres west of St. John's, until Sept. 12, reported CTV News.
It will resume work after the refinery is assessed by its occupational health and safety division next week, according to the report.
Eight people overall were injured during the explosion, the cause of which is still yet to be determined, according to reports.
Improper management of combustion systems can cause fires and explosions, according to a previous report.
The NL explosion happened shortly after 4 p.m. All the injured workers were first transported to Clarenville, about a 30-minute drive west of the refinery, before five of them had to be airlifted.
The incident is under investigation by police and the province's Occupational Health and Safety division.
"We will do everything we can to support [the injured] and their families during this time," said Braya Renewable Fuels hours after the incident, reported CBC. "The authorities have been notified and we will cooperate fully with their investigation."
Meanwhile, the Atlantic Canada Regional Council of Carpenters, Millwrights and Allied Workers said that it will support those who were affected by the incident.
"When anyone witnesses any kind of an incident ... it affects everyone differently," said Mike Williams, regional manager for the union, said, according to CBC.
"An incident such as this, people kind of take it with them. It can affect them going forward.... We decided over the weekend that we needed to do what we could to help support our members and their families."
Previously, one worker died after a fire at a quarry in Mulgrave in Nova Scotia.
In April, Yukon occupational health and safety officials started investigating after at least one worker was injured during an explosion on a construction site for Normandy Manor.
In March, five people were hospitalized after an explosion and a fire at a food complex in Sherbrooke, QC.
Also, a food warehouse delivery worker is filing a case against Walmart claiming he sustained serious injuries because of a defective portable battery charger he purchased at the megastore, according to a report.
And a total of 16 military personnel were injured during the explosion at the Canadian Forces Base Comox, also known as 19 Wing Comox, on Vancouver Island in November 2021.
