The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission has laid nine charges over the death of an excavator operator near Fort Simpson a year ago.
A 58-year-old man was killed when the sidewall of a water-filled gravel pit collapsed on December 8, 2020, sending the excavator into the pit and drowning the worker.
Recovering the man’s body took almost a week and required a specialized RCMP underwater search team.
On Thursday, the WSCC said Nogha Enterprises and the general foreman were accused of various offences under the NWT’s Safety Act and occupational health and safety regulations.
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The WSCC alleges there was a failure to provide adequate health and safety training, implement a safety program, ensure that only competent workers operate machinery, competently supervise that work, and establish an effective communication system at a remote work site.
The site was located at a gravel quarry 44 km north of Fort Simpson.
Charges were filed earlier this month, the WSCC said. The first court appearance was said by the commission to be scheduled for March 16, 2022 in Fort Simpson.
