CNESST says worker was trapped between waste compactor and the truck
A truck driver died after being pinned between his container truck and a landfill waste compactor in Quebec in mid-2024—an incident that could have been avoided with better coordination between workers, according to a report.
The fatality occurred on July 3, 2024, when the truck driver parked his vehicle at a landfill site in Brome-Missisquoi to unload waste.
The driver proceeded to the cleaning area to remove residue from the container and close its door, according to the Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), as reported by CTV News.
That exact moment, the operator of the landfill’s waste compactor backed up his vehicle, pinning the first worker between the rear bumper of the waste compactor and the rear of the truck.
The driver was transported to hospital and was pronounced dead, according to the CTV News report.
The coordination between the vehicles and pedestrians “was poorly managed,” and that exposed the driver to the “danger of collisions,” CNESST said, according to the report.
Following the incident, CNESST has prohibited Fournisseurs d’acier et de métal du Richelieu inc. – the worker’s employer – from unloading at landfill sites.
The government agency also required the company to develop and implement a plan when unloading waste.
CNESST also prohibited the landfill site - Régie intermunicipale de gestion des matières résiduelles de Brome-Missisquoi (RIGMRBM) – from doing dumping and compaction work at the same location. The site must also develop a safe work procedure for pedestrians and heavy trucks during dumping, according to the CTV News report.
“Both employers complied with these requirements,” CNESST said.
