Please read excerpts from the Canadian Press,
The death of a 56 year old employee four years ago has resulted in an Alberta pipe-coating company receiving penalties totaling $300,000. Garneau Inc., based in Nisku, Alberta, was cited for breaching requirements of Alberta’s Occupational Health & Safety Act.
The deadly incident occurred in June, 2006. Sidney Edwards was working at Garneau’s facility in Camrose, Alberta.
This happened back in November of 2009 but it goes to show that radioactive leaks happen much too often. My first blog on the accidental release of radioactivity material centred around the Bruce Power Station. This particular blog takes place November of 2009 at the Darlington nuclear station in Clarington, Ontario.
The Canadian Press,
Workers at the Darlington nuclear station in Clarington, Ont. filled the wrong tank with a cocktail of water and radioactive isotope Monday, spilling more than 200,000 litres into Lake Ontario.
Ontario Power Generation is investigating how the accident happened and officials say hourly tests of lake water show the level of tritium – the radioactive isotope of hydrogen, poses not harm to nearby residents.
A Nova Scotia maker of steel forms used in construction, was fined $45,000 on August 21, 2009, for a violation of the Occupational Health & Safety (OHSA) In March 2008, a constructor was building an intake line from the Welland Canal to the Thorold Cogeneration power site. To do this, they needed to install a cofferdam, a structure built below water level that serves as a dry workplace. EFCO designed and provided the parts for the cofferdam. On March 28, 2008, the constructor had installed the cofferdam and was removing the water inside it when the cofferdam failed. No workers were issued.
An investigation found that the cofferdam failed because certain bolts had not been supplied and installed as required. EFCO Canada Co., pleaded guilty under the OSHA to failing to take the reasonable precaution of providing the bolts necessary to secure the water plate girders in the cofferdam. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to special provincial fund to assist victims of crime.
We all remember the scaffold accident that happened near the end of Christmas Eve day at the end of 2009. Metron Construction Inc. had 5 employees on their swing stage and it broke sending 4 out of the 5 employees to their death, 13 stories below. The 5th employee received 2 broken legs and a crushed spine.
Eight work orders, including two stop work orders, were issued prior to the accident. (from Oct. 20 and Dec. 17) Metron complied with the orders and they were lifted shortly after. On Dec. 17, Metron was given three more orders. The ministry said a temporary structure constructed in front of the exit ramp of a parking garage needed to be rectified because it did not meet requirements. Later that day, the MOL returned and found the company was in compliance and lifted the stop-work order.