Backup cameras, PPE among recommendations at N.B. inquest into two workplace deaths

New Brunswick's provincial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa on July 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

The jury at a coroner’s inquest in northern New Brunswick has made recommendations after looking into two workplace deaths from 2024.

The inquest into the deaths of Jean-Eudes Doiron and Marcel Gagnon was held this week at the Campbellton courthouse.

Gagnon worked for a company under contract with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure. He died in hospital on July 23, 2024, following an incident at a quarry in the Saint-Joseph de Madawaska area.

The province says he died from trauma after being crushed and his death was deemed accidental.

Doiron was a worker with the department and died at a site in the Rang-St-Georges district of Hautes-Terres on Oct. 10, 2024.

The inquest found he died from multiple blunt injuries and the incident was also classified as an accident.

The five-member jury heard from 16 witnesses and made the following recommendations aimed at improving safety and preventing similar incidents in the future:

To both the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and Conrad Lavoie et Fils:

• post a spotter when a truck with blind spots must back up
• never cross behind a truck; always cross in front of the truck
• install backup cameras on trucks with blind spots
• communicate clearly at morning safety briefings to identify tasks and pinpoint any ecological or environmental hazards and safety risks. Include subcontractors in these meetings. If a subcontractor is not available, meet with them separately so that on-site communications are clear.
• make personal protective equipment mandatory and monitor its use.

To the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure:

• assign clear tasks and then do not make any changes during the day
• educate new employees during orientation after hiring; for example, by demonstrating hazards, reviewing safety policies with them and including photos to make the presentations more visual
• increase the percentage of time that project supervisors spend on site; delegate non-contractual tasks so that project supervisors are more present for their crew
• equip each worker who may be required to take a position behind a heavy truck or other heavy equipment with a radio so they can communicate with truck drivers at all times.

To WorkSafeNB:

• Raise awareness of the need to limit cellphone use on work sites.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety says the chief coroner will forward the recommendations to the appropriate agencies for consideration and response.

The response will be included in the coroner’s annual report.

An inquest does not find legal responsibility or assign blame.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.