Iron Ore Co. charged over fatal accident
Charges laid two years after subcontractor electrocuted at Labrador City mine
The Iron Ore Company of Canada is facing six charges in connection with a 2011 fatal accident at its Labrador City mine, in which a worker was electrocuted.
Jamie Brace, 38, was killed on April 19, 2011, while he was installing an overhead power line at IOC.
The Southern Harbour man was working for the company as a subcontractor at the time.
Lawyers for IOC will appear in court on May 23 to answer charges laid under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
"We wouldn't be able to comment much more at this point," said Heather Bruce-Veitch, IOC's director of external relations. "We would be reviewing the charges and preparing to appear in court."
The charges come four months after IOC pleaded guilty in court to three charges laid over another fatal incident, in which Eldon Perry, 56, died after falling seven metres from a scaffold in March 2010.
Last December, IOC president Zoe Yujnovich said safety must be the company's top priority.
Union local president Ron Thomas said he hopes that she is right.
"I know this happened prior to her saying that, but I would like to see that this would be the last time and that we don't have anybody else lose their life on the job," Thomas told CBC News.
IOC employees were told about the charges in an internal memo that Yujnovich issued on Tuesday.
The memo also reminded workers they can stop any work they're doing at any time, if they believe it's not safe.
Thomas said he wants workers to heed that advice.
"I just hope that any worker out there would actually take her words to refuse a job if it's unsafe," he said.