Worker was overcome by fumes and fell
Ontario’s chief coroner is now conducting their own investigation into the death of one worker in Burlington following a chemical incident earlier this month.
The workers sustained serious injuries from the chemical incident on April 4 at a Burlington warehouse.
“From what we know at this point, one of our production batch makers was dispensing one material into a second larger container. He was overcome by fumes and fell,” Fast said previously, according to The Hamilton Spectator. “Other plant staff attended and called for emergency services.”
The worker died on Sunday, Douglas Fast, president of ControlChem Canada Ltd., located on Harvester Road, confirmed, according to reports from The Hamilton Spectator, CBC and Global News.
“The Office of the Chief Coroner is investigating this death as it occurred suddenly and unexpectantly,” coroner spokesperson Stephanie Rea said in an email to the Burlington Post. “The OCC will assist any other investigative partners if needed.”
This is on top of the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development’s own investigation – initiated immediately following the incident – and ControlChem’s own investigation.
ControlChem is “a facility specializing in blending and repackaging of chemicals for water treatment and water solutions for various industries, consisting of the following processes and support units: chemical storage, chemical blending, chemical packaging and chemical shipping,” an Environmental Compliance Approval posted last year on the Environmental Registry of Ontario noted, according to the Burlington Post.
“The facility operates at a facility production limit of up to: 9,540,000 total kilograms per year of general chemicals (and) 23,000 total kilograms per year of flammable chemicals,” the Environmental Registry post states.
