Following the death of a farm worker by lightning last August in Oka, the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) recommends better training of employees in the dangers of lightning and what to do in the event of a thunderstorm.
Posted at 9:15 p.m.
August 10, 2021. Around 7:45 p.m., Oscar Antonio Vicente-Torres, temporary foreign worker, was performing a task in a cauliflower field in N. et L. St-Denis SENC The sky then became overcast and the employees heard thunder and saw lightning in the distance. However, they continued their work. A few minutes later, Mr. Vicente-Torres was struck by lightning. First responders arrived at the scene to transport him to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
The workers were never instructed to evacuate the field and take shelter, can we read in the conclusion of the CNESST investigation unveiled Thursday. Moreover, they were not informed of the dangers of lightning, the document states. “In the absence of procedures associated with the danger posed by lightning, the workers continued their work in the field during the passage of the storm,” the Commission wrote.
In order to avoid such an accident, it is necessary to monitor the weather conditions and spot the signs announcing that a storm is brewing, can we read in the report. Next, employees must “take refuge in a safe shelter as soon as [qu’ils perçoivent] lightning and stay there 30 minutes after its last manifestation”, recommends the CNESST.
However, after the accident that occurred last August, the employer complied with the requirements of the CNESST by establishing an evacuation plan and training the workers in the risks associated with thunderstorms.
At the time of writing these lines, N. et L. St-Denis SENC had not responded to our interview request.
“One death too many”
“One death is one death too many,” says Denis Roy, director of finance and agricultural labor at the Union des producteurs agricole (UPA). In terms of health and safety at work, employers must issue daily reminders to workers, he believes.
“In the event of a thunderstorm, employees must be told that if they see or hear lightning, they must take refuge in vehicles,” explains Mr. Roy, regarding field evacuation procedures.
With climate change, farmers will be more confronted with storms, fears Denis Roy. “We will have to be even more vigilant,” he said.
Events like the one that occurred last August have already occurred in the fields of Quebec. In 2012, a worker was struck down in Saint-Rémi. At the end of the inquest, coroner Yves Lambert recommended that farm owners better train employees in the risks of lightning.