By Steve MacInnis, Cape Breton Post, March 4, 1999
While a controversial
Sydney remediation project
lacked a fully developed
health and safety plan, the
health of workers on site
was not compromised.
A Department of Labour
investigation report obtained
Wednesday by the Cape
Breton Post cites several
areas where the project fell
short in meeting the
standards of a proper health
and safety plan.
“Throughout the report, there
were elements identified
which required attention to
provide an improved or
more effective health and
safety program,” concluded
the report’s authors, Milton
Cooke and Dave MacLean.
They noted the development,
implementation and
management of such a plan
should have begun with a
written hazard assessment
report prior to the start of the
project.
The $7.7 million clean up
was operated by PLI
Environmental Ltd., of
Sydney, which secured an
untendered contract
supported by both the
federal and provincial
governments.
The project employed just
over 150 workers and work
began in July, 1997,
concluding in September,
1998. The remediation
focused on facilities located
at the north and south ends
of the Sydney Steel complex
and included the demolition
of several buildings – eight
blast furnace stoves, two
piers and two blast furnaces.
This latest report is the
second investigation by the
department after receiving
complaints from workers on
site. The first report
concluded there was no
evidence to support the
workers claims.
Report satisfies labour minister
By Steve MacInnis and Peter Cotter, Cape Breton Post
Labour Minister Russell MacKinnon said
Wednesday he’s satisfied a department report
covered all bases in investigating a Sydney
remediation project.
“I’m satisfied the report dealt with everything and
hopefully this will show workers there are no
reprisals for reporting their concerns,” he said.
The report dealt with how PLI Environmental of
Sydney operated a clean up on the north and south
ends of the Sydney Steel complex. The work
concluded last September.
Two department investigators concluded PLI failed
to meet the standard when it came to developing
and implementing a health and safety plan on site.
The report also cleared the company of a number
of other allegations levelled by workers.
“We are doing everything we possibly can do to
ensure work sites are safe,” said MacKinnon,
adding the report was free from political
interference.
But while MacKinnon is pleased with the report, the
reaction of his colleagues and one of the most
vocal of the workers who filed the complaints is not
as happy.
“I think the inspectors’ hands were tied. The
Environment Act wasn’t followed to the letter where
asbestos is concerned, that’s my major concern.
And the fact there was no development and
implementation of a health and safety program
when the clean-up project started, said worker
Donnie Gauthier.
Health plan lax during PLI cleanup:
report
By Tera Camus / Cape Breton Bureau-Halifax Herald, March 4, 1999
Sydney - The provincial Labour Department says PLI
Environmental did a lot of things wrong when it conducted its
multimillion-dollar cleanup at Sydney Steel last year.
But no corrective orders will be issued as a result of the
department's 23-week probe into 19 complaints of unsafe work
practices, says a Labour report released Wednesday.
"Normally we would issue an order to correct a problem, but
there's no work going on there at this particular time," James
LeBlanc, executive director of Occupational Health and Safety for
the province, said of the report's conclusions.
"(But) if they are going to start again, there are some things they
need to do differently."
For one thing, the company needs a better health and safety plan,
the report says.
PLI Environmental received an untendered $7.7-million
government contract in August 1997 to remove most of the
dilapidated structures at the north end of the steel plant.
The project was supposed to give laid-off steelworkers two years
of work. Instead, it ended abruptly last September when the
company said it had run out of money.
The Labour Department's probe began two weeks before the
company shut down. A dozen laid-off employees at PLI had come
forward with safety concerns and 124 photos of alleged
irregularities.
The investigation was the second that summer. The first had
cleared PLI of any wrongdoing.
The report released Wednesday says if the company resumes
work on the site, it should:
- properly identify hazards;
- have better work procedures to control the hazards;
- have more trained supervisors;
- assess the skills of workers who perform various tasks;
- provide training to ensure skills exist; and
- have better communication to ensure each person is aware of
labour regulations, procedures to follow and dangers.
The report's recommendations follow an investigation into
complaints including improper handling of asbestos, burning of
copper wire on-site, lack of proper protective gear, lack of
drinking water, lack of fall protection, and exposure to PCBs.
The report dismissed many of the 19 claims due to lack of
evidence.
Former worker Donnie Gauthier wasn't impressed with the report.
"The company was lucky to get good workers and they should
have relied a lot more on the knowledge that these people had
and listened to their concerns.
"But desperate people, desperate measures, desperate times,
people have to basically take what's shoved at them."
The report also said a health and safety plan should have been in
place before work began at the Sysco site.
The report also found that Dick Dearing, the regional manager for
the Labour Department, had not violated the department's conflict
of interest guidelines. Mr. Dearing is a friend of Joe Parsons, a
co-owner at PLI. The workers had felt their complaints to Mr.
Dearing had fallen on deaf ears.
The report also says workers who handled asbestos wore their
protective suits in the lunch room. But the practice "stopped in
January 1998."
The practice of burning copper wire in open barrels was also a
clear violation, the report says.
Mr. LeBlanc said if PLI were operating on-site today, corrective
orders would be issued.
"There were issues that the report identified ... (that) there was a
shortcoming in meeting the minimum standards that the regulation
sets up," Mr. LeBlanc said. "We would have corrected it."
If PLI Environmental is awarded a second phase, it will be
watched to ensure it plays by the rules, he said.
PLI co-owner Jim Inch said the report is fair.
"We're happy the way it went. It showed that we were doing the
best we could where we were, and we're happy with the
outcome."
Mr. Inch said PLI will work within Labor Department guidelines on
future projects.
"Every time we do something, we will work that way, just as the
way we have in the past, and just continue on that way."
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Russell MacKinnon, who last year
jumped the gun on his department's first report and deemed the
site safe, said the investigation taught everyone a few lessons.
"We've all become more sensitized and we've learned from this
process. It's unfortunate we had to do a subsequent investigation
because some people had some concerns about reprisal or ...
that their complaints weren't being heard."
Mr. MacKinnon said workers should have come forward.
"There are mechanisms in place to protect individuals, and I think
they may not have had the confidence level or trust there before,
but they may have it now.
"Justifiably so, because the people of Nova Scotia lost
confidence in the process, and it's our duty and obligation and
responsibility to win that confidence back."
As for his perceived interference, he said he's learned, too.
"Hindsight is always 20-20," Mr. MacKinnon said. "Some of the
more local issues, I think they've been answered. ... It's not just for
PLI, for government inspectors or for employees in any such site
like this. Everybody can learn across Nova Scotia. It's positive.
Report Flawed on Asbestos - worker
