The serious poisoning of a worker that occurred in April 2023 at the Horne Foundry is largely linked to an underestimate of the risks associated with contaminants, estimates the Standards, Equity, Health and Safety Commission of work (CNESST).
In an investigation report published this Tuesday, the Commission concludes that the foundry “underestimated the risks associated with contaminants as well as burial, leading to serious poisoning of a worker while working in the hoppers , considered as enclosed spaces. The government body also considers that “the management of entry into confined spaces was deficient”.
Last April, a worker was injured during the night at the Horne Foundry, after having apparently been poisoned during dust extraction work. The event occurred during suction work in the electrofilter sector.
The victim was an operator working for SXB Environnement, a company specializing in industrial cleaning and pumping of dangerous materials.
A CNESST investigation was launched following this event. “While he was pushing the dust down the suction pipe using a scraper tool, a large part of the mass suddenly broke away, burying him over his head and stuck near the door inside the hopper,” notes the Commission in its report released this Tuesday.
She adds that “the intensity of the shock was strong enough to remove his respiratory protection device and his safety helmet.”
It was shortly after that the employee breathed and ingested the toxic dust, which is composed of several heavy metals harmful to respiratory health. The confined space supervisor who accompanied the industrial cleaning operator, who was not injured, then came to his aid while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
Last July, the CNESST claims to have required the foundry to modify its internal work procedure called “Confined Space Rescue”, in order to prevent such an event from happening again. This has indeed been done in recent months, authorities confirmed.
In order to prevent accidents of this type, the Commission invites employers in particular to “identify all the risks linked to confined spaces, including those generated by the work, with the participation of the workers concerned and people competent in this field”, in addition to set up a “personalized rescue plan”.
The Horne Foundry has been in the spotlight for some time now due to concentrations of toxic contaminants such as lead, cadmium and arsenic which last year far exceeded Quebec standards in the air of Rouyn-Noranda, worsening the risk for the health. Quebec also tightened the screws on the Glencore company last year, requiring it to comply within four years with either the standards in force or the thresholds deemed acceptable by Public Health.