When someone leaves for work, his or her family naturally expects them to come home again when the day is done. Sadly, sometimes that does not happen. The family of one man received tragic news after he perished in a workplace accident in British Columbia’s neighbouring province.
On November 1, 2016, an accident occurred at a tunneling project in Edmonton. Police responded to a call at around 3:30 p.m. at a site in the southwest area of the city. A 44-year-old city worker was found dead at the scene, approximately 20 meters below ground.
The man was part of a crew digging a 155-meter tunnel for a sewage pipe. Apparently, the man became pinned between a conveyor belt and the wall of the tunnel. Occupational Health & Safety is investigating the cause of the accident. In the meantime, all other tunnelling projects in the city have been temporarily halted, pending the results of the investigation.
Should the investigation reveal the accident was the result of any kind of negligence on the part of the man’s employer, legal proceedings will no doubt follow. The family of the deceased worker may soon have their hands full with legal matters, and immediate family members will certainly be dealing with insurance claims. They will have to face all of this while trying to cope with the sudden loss of their loved one. When any workplace accident happens, it may be helpful to team up with a law firm that handles labour and employment cases in British Columbia.
Source: Global News, “All Edmonton tunnelling projects suspended after man killed at southwest job site“, Caley Ramsay, Nov. 2, 2016