Fort McMurray — Suncor and the Fort McMurray First Nation Group of Companies have been hit with dozens of workplace safety charges after a man drowned when he accidentally drove through a frozen inactive tailings pond.
Patrick Poitras, 25, of Saint-Andre, N.B., was driving a bulldozer at Suncor’s base plant on Jan. 13, 2021. Shortly after 3 p.m., the ice beneath Poitras’ bulldozer split open and the vehicle fell through. The ice was too weak to support rescue workers, who took more than two days to recover Poitras’ body.
Poitras worked for the Fort McMurray First Nation Group of Companies (FMFN Group), which at the time was called Christina River Enterprises.
The charges allege FMFN Group and Suncor failed to guarantee proper safety procedures for a heavy vehicle operating on the ice.
The charges allege Poitras was ordered to operate a John Deere bulldozer on the ice of the tailings pond when the minimum ice thickness was less than 17 inches. This thickness is required by Suncor’s safety plan.
Both companies are accused of not completing frequent or adequate ice checks and for not providing ground-penetrating radar for ice profiling before work began. They are also charged with not providing Poitras with a personal flotation device or safety plan while working on the ice. The charges state Poitras should have kept his seatbelt off and door unlatched while driving the bulldozer on the ice.
Suncor Energy has 19 charges under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and FMFN Group has nine charges. The charges were filed in Fort McMurray provincial court in November and a plea hearing is scheduled for March 15.
A Suncor spokesperson offered her condolences to Poitras’ family, friends and coworkers, but said the company would not be commenting on a case before the courts. FMFN Group did not respond to requests for comment.
Since 2014, 13 workers have died in workplace accidents at Suncor. This is more than any other company operating in the oilsands. Poitras’ death came weeks after a bulldozer hit a pickup truck at the Fort Hills oilsands operation. Two workers from ClearStream Energy were killed in the accident.
The most recent death was this past July when a 26-year-old man working for Komatsu was killed in an accident at base plant’s shovel maintenance pad. Suncor CEO and president Mark Little, who had pledged an independent safety review and workplace safety improvements, resigned the next day.
vmcdermott@postmedia.com
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