Quebec roadside inspections forced to suspend unplanned operations

Traffic in the vicinity of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel in Montreal. Photo taken on Jan. 2, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Graham Hughes)

Contrôle routier Québec (CRQ) - an agency of the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) - is suspending unplanned roadside inspections, following a decision by the Administrative Labour Tribunal concerning the safety of roadside inspectors.

The suspension of the unplanned interventions will be in effect until the work organization is revised in accordance with the ruling, the agency said in a press release in response to the tribunal’s decision.

Roadside inspectors have been complaining for years about the lack of safety in their work, and are sometimes exposed to assaults when they stop a vehicle.

It was in this context that the union, the Fraternité des constables du contrôle routier du Québec, filed complaints, first with Quebec’s workplace health and safety board (CNESST) and then with the Administrative Labour Tribunal.

In a 189-page decision, the tribunal found, among other things, that “the organization of the work and the methods and techniques used to carry it out are not safe and are detrimental to the health of the roadside inspectors.”

Administrative Judge Danielle Tremblay added that “the employer is indeed in breach of its obligations to ensure that the organization of the work, as well as the methods and techniques used to perform it, are safe and do not endanger the health of the workers.”

“The employer did not adequately inform the roadside inspectors of the risks associated with their work during roadside interventions and did not provide them with the appropriate training, coaching and supervision to ensure that they had the skills and knowledge required to perform their work safely,” the court added.

“The frequency with which the physical intervention training is updated does not allow the roadside inspectors to maintain their physical and mental aptitudes at the level required to ensure their safety,” the judge added.

She also referred the case back to the CNESST for follow-up.

Contrôle routier Québec has taken note of the court’s ruling.

“In an effort to prevent and reduce occupational health and safety risks for its personnel, CRQ will diligently analyze the decision and identify the next steps and measures to be taken,” the agency said.

The agency said that it will involve the Fraternité des constables du contrôle routier in the process.

“With immediate effect, CRQ is suspending unplanned roadside interventions until the organization of its work is reviewed in accordance with the judgement.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 7, 2024.