Contractor didn't follow its own safety rules in fatal trench accident: Suncor
Events that led to the death of a 30-year-old oilsands worker at a Suncor operation north of Fort McMurray could have been prevented if personnel of the contracted mining company had followed its own safety rules, Suncor says.
"While this is difficult to write, I believe it is absolutely essential that we share this information openly to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again," Bruno Francoeur, Suncor regional operations executive, said in a memo to employees which has been obtained by CBC News.
"In this instance, Aecon personnel did not follow Aecon's safe work procedures and the relevant requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Code for construction work associated with excavations."
Francoeur said Aecon Mining workers were excavating a dyke at Suncor's Millennium mine on Oct. 20, 2017. Sagar Patel, a surveyor for Aecon, had entered the 4.5-metre deep trench when one of the walls collapsed, burying Patel alive.
Emergency services, along with operations supervisors from Aecon and Suncor, were called to the scene. Heavy equipment and hand tools were used in the effort to extricate Patel.
"First responders performed CPR but, sadly, were unsuccessful in reviving him," Francoeur said in the memo.
Adhering 'to their own procedures, standards'
The memo does not specifically state which safety standards were not followed.
Suncor declined comment. So did Alberta Occupational Health and Safety, which is continuing to investigate the incident.
Aecon spokesperson Nicole Court said safety is the company's first priority, adding that Aecon is co-operating with the Occupational Health and Safety investigation.
Court could not say whether Aecon agrees with Suncor's findings.
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Suncor said in the memo that it's sharing the preliminary findings because it wants to prevent the tragedy from happening again. "Our hope ... is that we will learn from the past and make our workplace safer," Francoeur said.
The Suncor memo included five recommendations to improve safety, including:
- Working with Aecon to make sure it adheres "to their own procedures, standards and OHS requirements."
- Improving identification of risk hazards in the mine.
- Conducting surveys — known as "as-built surveys" — both before and during excavations.
- Providing a clear outline of responsibilities for engineering and operations personnel.
Patel's family, which is in India, declined to comment.
In October, close family friend Kinnar Patel said the family wanted others to know "this unwanted, unfortunate tragedy [that] happened in Fort McMurray has taken away one of the most beautiful souls from this planet."
Follow David Thurton, CBC's Fort McMurray correspondent, on Facebook, Twitter and email him at david.thurton@cbc.ca
