Poor organization led to trucker being killed by massive pipe on job: CNESST

The logo for the Commission des Normes de l'equite de la Sante et de la Securite au Travail, known as the CNESST, which is in charge of worker safety, is seen in Laval, Que., Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Ryan Remiorz / The Canadian Press)

Poor work organization and methods used to load pipes caused the death of a truck driver in Victoriaville last March, the Quebec workplace safety board (CNESST) said on Thursday.

On March 13, 2024, a truck driver employed by Excavations Mario Roy in Victoriaville died while loading heavy metal pipes onto the bed of a semi-trailer truck with a coworker.

The CNESST investigation showed that a six-metre pipe weighing about 815 pounds had been placed in an unstable balance on the bed of the semi-trailer truck, using a loader fitted with forks. The front of the pipe was resting on the floor of the truck bed, but the back of the pipe was raised.

The truck driver stood on the truck bed next to the pipe to install the securing straps.

In this unstable position, the pipe rolled, hitting the driver in the legs, who then fell face down on the ground.

The pipe then continued to fall, hitting the driver on the ground. Emergency services were called and the driver was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“Analysis of the accident revealed shortcomings in the organization of pipe loading operations on the flatbed semi-trailer,” wrote the CNESST in its report.

The commission points out that, given their shape, size and mass, pipes must be secured using a specific method.

The CNESST points out in its report that “the employer did not issue any directives to the workers concerning these specific methods.”

“A work method developed following the identification of the risks would have made it possible to secure the pipes safely and prevent them from being free to move during loading operations,” the CNESST investigators noted.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 5, 2024.