A fatal collision between a gondola and a drilling rig in the Quebec resort town of Mont-Tremblant in July occurred, in part, due to incomplete procedures governing how construction equipment should be moved on the property, an inspector concluded. labor.
A Canadian soldier, Sgt. Sheldon Johnson, 50, of Kingston, Ont., was killed in the collision, and Gadong-Gleyo, a woman in her 50s from Ottawa, was seriously injured after being thrown from a tourist gondola that was struck by the mast of a rig. on July 16.
About a week later, a Quebec labor board inspector banned the movement of construction equipment on the site because the risk of another collision occurring was too high.
The information is included in intervention reports obtained by The Canadian Press through an access to information request to Quebec’s labor board. Committee on standards, equity, health and safety at work (CNESST).
“The information obtained during the investigation shows that the conditions that caused the accident during the movement of the drill are still present at the site, since elements are missing in the written access procedure and in the communication to the parties,” said Inspector Jean-Claude. Philippe Gaudreault wrote in a July 28 report about his inspection four days earlier.
In a preliminary report completed on site on July 24, Gaudreault wrote: “There is no complete written procedure for moving construction machinery at the Mont-Tremblant resort.” And the incomplete procedure that was underway, he said, was not known to everyone who worked at the famous ski resort.
Gaudreault ordered on July 24 that before construction workers could resume moving machinery between job sites, the Mont-Tremblant Station operator had to establish clear procedures and ensure they were in communication with contractors.
He also instructed the operator of the complex to “ensure that all access to the mountain is controlled and that barriers cannot be jumped by construction machinery.”
The drilling rig involved in the collision was being used in a project to replace a snow-making system on one of the ski slopes.
The Mont-Tremblant station did not respond to a request for comment Thursday.
Mont-Tremblant Update Policy
A July 28 intervention report says the resort operator submitted a mountain access policy to the labor board the day before, requiring all requests to move construction machinery be submitted 48 hours in advance. Additionally, according to policy, project managers must select the route to follow and a Mont-Tremblant representative must accompany the machinery.
However, Gaudreault says the plan was still missing elements: The machinery did not need to be accompanied by an “escort/signalman” and moving equipment under an active lift was not yet clearly prohibited.
The board lifted the ban on Aug. 4, after receiving an updated policy that included a clear procedure for moving oversized vehicles and other construction machinery in the path of an elevator, according to a report that day. Inspector Claude Langlois wrote that the Mont-Tremblant station had taken steps to ensure workers were aware of the new policy.
The board says other policy measures prohibit anyone from moving machinery under a ski lift on weekends and holidays without special permission. The deadly July collision occurred on a Sunday.
Inspection reports show that the windshield of the drilling rig, owned by a company called Forage M2P, was broken at the time of the collision, possibly limiting the operator’s vision. Additionally, the truck’s horn was broken, preventing the driver from alerting passersby. The board ordered that both issues be corrected.
Forage M2P did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
