Since Monday, October 15th, five people have lost their lives in workplace accidents across our province.
The most recent death happened early Friday morning, when a 29-year-old man was crushed between a track hoe and a flare tank after the track hoe operator activated the controls. Brookes Merritt, communications with Occupational Health and Safety says the accident happened at an Ensign Drilling location about 25 kilometres south of Grande Prairie.
On Monday, October 15th, a 56-year-old worker was working on a scaffolding about 20 feet above the ground at a Hammers Construction Ltd. site in Wainwright. The scaffolding rolled into an adjacent pit and the worker was thrown from the scaffolding and seriously injured. He was taken to hospital but later died from his injuries.
On Wednesday, October 17th, 35-year-old David Van Bruggen was killed at Mo Tires in Lethbridge. He was pinned against a shed by a forklift and sustained fatal injuries. Officials from Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Lethbridge Regional Police are involved in the investigation. OHS has suspended use of the forklift at the tire shop while it investigates.
"This is the first time in 75 years, and hopefully the last," said Bill Wright, the Manager of Mo Tires, of the fatality.
"People make mistakes, and sometimes there is extreme result of that," added Wright. "What we have to send a message to workers to be on their toes, be careful, follow the procedure, follow the rules. Nobody's exempt from having something bad happen. A lot of times people take things for granted, and a lot of us have to be more careful."
On Thursday, October 18th three workplace incidents took place.
At around 10:30 am, a rig accident near Edson sent three men to hospital. A hose came loose and hit three workers. Two men, a 52-year-old and another is in his thirties, were taken to Edson hospital. The third was airlifted to an Edmonton hospital. There is no word on their condition. Two of the injured workers are employed by Roll'n Oilfield Industries, and the third worker is contracted by Peyto Exploration Development.
Brad Rowbotham, the President of Roll'n Oilfield Industries spoke to Global News Friday. He said they are still in the process of getting more details on the incident and the events leading up to two of his workers being injured on the job.
"Our biggest concern is for the workers," said Rowbotham, "we need to do what we can to take care of them and focus on them at this time."
He added the two workers employed by Roll'n are being treated, but couldn't update their condition. Rowbotham also confirmed investigators are on scene, and have been since last night, and will likely remain until Saturday.
Also on Thursday morning, a worker died at the ATCO Battle River Power plant north of Halkirk. He was completing stack testing when he fell into the stack and onto an elevator. He died at the scene. A stop work order is now in effect at the plant. Coronation RCMP say the young man who died did not work for ATCO but was doing contract work for them at the time. RCMP and Alberta OHS are investigating.
At 1:30 pm Thursday, a 19-year-old died after being hurt at a Nabors Drilling-Black Gold site near Conklin. Workers were moving a ramp during a rig move, when the ramp fell on top of the worker. The contractor on the site was a company named Harvest.
OHS says more than 200 accidents involving forklifts happened in Alberta in 2011. However, there was only one reported death.
© Global News. A division of Shaw Media Inc., 2012.