Brewmaster fell two storeys off the roof at workplace
A brewery in Nova Scotia is facing three administrative charges following the death of its brewmaster over a year ago.
The incident happened on July 13, 2023, when Dallas Lewis fell two storeys off the roof at Route 19 Brewing in Inverness, according to a CBC report. Co-workers found him on the ground next to the building late that evening, he was later pronounced dead at the nearby hospital.
During a two-day Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board hearing last week, the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service noted that Lewis had a blood-alcohol concentration of .276 at the time of his death. That is more than three times the legal driving limit of .08, noted CBC.
At the hearing, Erinn Lewis said her 48-year-old husband had told her he would stay at Route 19 on the night of the incident to finish up some work.
None of the staff could say whether Lewis was actually working the night he died because he made his own schedule and did not punch a clock.
Erinn also admitted that her husband had a drinking problem.
The restaurant manager and bartender who were on duty the night Lewis died testified that he had not shown any signs of impairment.
However, security camera footage from the brewery showed that he was helping to fix a dishwasher that night. He was also seen taking some bar patrons into the brewery for a brief tour, which was one his occasional duties, according to the CBC report.
He was also seen behind the bar pouring drinks, which was against company policy, and was seen delivering drinks to a table that included Gillis and several other people.
Gillis said he only saw Lewis drink two or three beers that night, but couldn't say whether the brewmaster had consumed alcohol elsewhere. Also, no one told him that Lewis had a drinking problem, he said, according to the report.
"Buddy, I'm saying he could have drank the ocean all day for all I know out back," Gillis said.
However, the fact that the brewmaster was behind the bar pouring drinks proved management did not have control of the premises, according to Duane Eddy, lead counsel for the province's alcohol and gaming division.
Route 19 Brewing in Inverness, N.S., is charged with three administrative liquor licensing infractions in relation to Lewis’s death.
However, suspension or cancelling of a licence are the only penalties under the liquor licensing regulations, with suspensions ranging from a couple of days up to three months, according to CBC.
