Charges have now been laid in connection with a fatal explosion at the Come By Chance refinery almost two years ago.
Owners Braya Renewable Fuels and New Brunswick-based Lorneville Mechanical Contractors are accused of 14 violations under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations.
They include 11 against Braya and three against the contractor.
RCMP, meanwhile, have not laid criminal charges but say their investigation is continuing,
The blast occurred around 4 p.m. on Friday, September 2, 2022, casting a shadow over that Labour Day weekend.
Eight workers were rushed to hospital by air and ambulance, with one man—47-year-old Shawn Peddle of Clarenville—succumbing to his injuries six weeks after the blast.
The charges come almost two years later, with the investigation slowed by court disputes over evidence in the case.
Lawyers for both Braya and Lorneville Mechanical are expected in Clarenville provincial court to answer to the charges on August 8.
Braya Renewable Fuels has been charged with:
- Failure to provide and maintain the necessary equipment, systems and tools to ensure a safe workplace.
- Failure to provide the necessary information, instruction, training, supervision and facilities to ensure a safe workplace.
- Failure to ensure its workers and supervisors were made familiar with the hazards.
- Failure to ensure as a Principal Contractor that contracted employers and workers complied with the Occupational Health and Safety legislation.
- Failure to implement an Occupational Health and Safety Program.
- Failure to ensure safe work procedures were followed.
- Failure to ensure personal protective equipment provided effective protection.
- Failure to ensure, where the unexpected release of an energy source could cause injury, that the energy source was isolated and effectively controlled.
- Failure to ensure that, where equipment is shut down for maintenance:
• No work was done until all parts had been secured against movement.
• Hazards had been effectively controlled.
• Energy isolating devices had been locked out.
Lorneville Mechanical Contractors has been charged with:
- Failure to ensure the health, safety and welfare of its workers.
- Failure to ensure its undertaking did not expose other persons to hazards.
- Failure to ensure safe work procedures were followed.