By CHAT News Today

Charges laid against employer following 2015 workplace death

Dec 13, 2017 | 12:02 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Two years after a 49-year-old man died in a workplace accident at CF Industries, an employer  has been charged under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Aluma Systems Inc. is facing five charges in connection with the fatality which took place the CF Industries plant on December 7, 2015 as a result of an ammonia leak.

Two workers were doing some work on an ammonia tank at CF Industries, when a mobile lift allegedly struck a valve on the tank, which released ammonia, according to Trent Bancarz, a spokesperson with Alberta Labour.

One worker, a 49-year-old man, died from his injuries. The second worker suffered minor injuries, but was released later that day.

“We began an investigation, as we investigate all workplace fatalities and serious injuries,” said Bancarz over the phone from Edmonton. “As a result of the investigation, we’ve laid five OHS related charges against Aluma Systems.”

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Aluma Systems is charged with two counts under the Occupational Health and Safety Act of failure to ensure the health and safety of the workers. They are also facing three charges under OHS Codes of failure to take measures to eliminate or control a hazard, failure to ensure a hazard assessment was repeated when a work process or operation changed and failure to provide safeguards where a worker could accidentally, or through the work process, come into contact with a hazard.

None of the charges have been proven in court.

The charges were officially filed on November 30, 2017, one week before the two-year- anniversary of the incident.

“By statute, we have to complete an investigation, and make a decision on any further actions, within two years of the date of the incident,” said Bancarz. “We would’ve had to either do something or do nothing by December 7.”

Bancarz adds each investigation from Occupational Health and Safety is different, and it’s hard to put a timeline on the investigation.

The case will first be heard in Medicine Hat provincial court on January 26, 2018.

CHAT News has reached out to Aluma Systems for a comment, and will update this story once one is received.

More to come.