No measures were taken to ensure the safety of Riley Jonathan Valcin, who was crushed to death while clearing snow from the Big Wheel in Old Montreal. The coroner’s report released on Wednesday takes up the conclusions of the CNESST on this young man who lost his life at work on Christmas Day 2021.
Riley Jonathan Valcin, a 22-year-old student, was part of the site maintenance team and kept the premises clean. He was not responsible for maintaining the ride.
But that day, the falling snow hampered the proper functioning of the tourist attraction.
The services of the young man were required to remove the snow from the driving wheels of the Ferris Wheel while it was in operation. He received instructions and set to work. But it was dragged between the drive wheel and the transmission plate.
He was crushed.
The coroner’s report mentions multiple fractures of ribs, vertebrae, pelvic bones, femur and one hand. He suffered internal bleeding. The toxicological report shows that he had no trace of alcohol or drugs in his blood.
The report of the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) unveiled its conclusions in June 2022. It determined that the management of worker safety was “deficient”, because it led them “to improvise a dangerous method of working to clear the driving wheels of the ride”.
In short, summarizes coroner Julie-Kim Godin, Mr. Valcin received “instructions to perform a dangerous task in a dangerous area and no measures were taken to ensure his safety”. These shortcomings led to his death, she adds.
Me Godin notes that the Grande Roue de Montréal has since implemented the security measures required by the CNESST. The latter shared the conclusions of its investigation with all the operators of the rides, notes the coroner.
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