Three charges laid after a 2,000 pound bulkhead fell on the 51-year-old worker
The Ontario government has laid three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act against National Steel Car Limited in the workplace death of Quoc Le.
The 51-year-old died after a bulkhead weighing approximately 2,000 pounds fell on him at the plant on June 6, 2022. Emergency services were called to the scene at the National Steel Car workplace in Hamilton, Ontario just before 8pm. Paramedics found him without vital signs.
Last month the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development issued two orders and 26 requirements to the company related to Le’s death. Then on May 23 the company was charged with three offences.
National Steel Car is accused of failing to ensure the diagonal bulkhead alignment bars were installed to secure the bulkhead prior to any welding of the bulkhead to the floor of the rail car. It also allegedly failed to ensure a crane was not used to pull or move the bulkhead while it was tack welded to the floor, which endangered the safety of the worker.
And it is accused of failing to take every reasonable precaution to protect Le by failing to ensure the crane operator always remained at the controls with a clear line of sight prior to the bulkhead being secured to the floor of the railcar.
Le’s death was the third workplace fatality at the National Steel Car site in a two-year period. Fraser Cowan died on September 2, 2020, and Collin Grayley died on April 23, 2021.
National Steel Car was also charged under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act following an investigation into Cowan’s death. It faced three charges, and as part of a joint submission, the company pleaded guilty to one charge while the other two were dropped. National Steel Car was fined $140,000 in Cowan’s death.
At the time of Le’s death the United Steelworkers Local 7135 called for a criminal negligence probe into the company.
National Steel Car made one court appearance in Le’s death on June 13 and is expected back in court on August 8.
