Copper Cliff Smelter had poor safety culture: Steelworkers

The Copper Cliff Smelter did not have a strong safety culture when a worker was killed last April, says Mike Bond, the United Steelworkers Local 6500's health, safety and environment chair.

The Ministry of Labour laid 17 charges Monday against Vale, two supervisors and one smelter worker for an incident that killed Paul Rochette, 36, on April 6, 2014.

“It doesn't surprise me one bit that Vale was charged, and there were supervisors charged here,” Bond said. “It shows me that the whole system was flawed.”

After the tragic incident, which also injured a Vale millwright, the company and the United Steelworkers, conducted a joint-investigation into the incident.

They discovered Rochette was trying to remove a moil – a pin used in a machine to crush ore – from a machine called a farrel crusher.

Because the moil was under strong pressure in the crusher jaws, it shot out like a bullet and struck Rochette in the head, killing him instantly.

Vale said in a statement Monday it made 58 recommendations based on its findings from the joint investigation with the Steelworkers. Many of those recommendations, the company said, have already been implemented.

Nine of the charges laid, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, were against Vale Canada Limited.

The Ministry of Labour laid three charges against Vale supervisor Eric Labelle, and two charges against another supervisor, Glenn Munro.

A Vale worker, Greg Taylor, also faces three charges.

The maximum penalty for one charge under the act is a fine of up to $25,000 for an individual, and up to 12 months imprisonment.

For a corporation, the maximum fine for each charge is up to $500,000.

“Companies have to look at health and safety as an investment, not a liability,” Bond said.

With Vale, he said some pockets of management, and portions of the company, make safety their top priority, but others don't.

“We know the culture at the smelter at that time (of the tragic incident), was a negative safety culture,” he said.

He added the Steelworkers intend to work closely with Vale to ensure the situation that killed Rochette never happens again.

A first appearance for the occupational health and safety charges is scheduled at the Ontario Court of Justice in Sudbury on June 12, 2015.