Ministry of Labour investigating workplace injury at Claridge construction site
Worker died at same construction site exactly 2 years ago
Ottawa police say the Ministry of Labour is investigating a workplace injury at the Claridge construction site on Preston Street — the same site where a worker died two years ago today.
Police were called at 2:19 p.m. to a report of a workplace injury at the intersection of Preston Street and Carling Avenue where the Claridge Icon condominium is currently under construction.
Paramedics were called to the fifth floor where they found a male worker who fell three metres from an upper level scaffolding. Paramedics said Friday the man was unconscious and was rushed to hospital in critical condition with a head injury.
Police said Saturday that the man had minor injuries and has since left the hospital.
Firefighters had to rescue the man with a crane and basket. He reached the ground just before 3 p.m. and was rushed to hospital.
Ottawa police said the Ministry of Labour has taken charge of the investigation.
Construction boss staying mum
Workers from the Ministry of Labour and the Bellai Brothers Construction company were at the site Friday evening.
Ministry officials declined to comment, and Bellai Brothers Construction president Pietro Bellai had little to say about the injured worker's condition.
"He's fine," Bellai told CBC News.
When pressed for more details, Bellai only repeated: "He's fine."
Previous incidents
Olivier Bruneau, a 24-year-old surveyor, was killed at the same site on March 23, 2016, while he was working at the bottom of a 30-metre-deep pit during construction. He was struck by falling ice.
In that case, the ministry charged developers and supervisors working on the project with a total of eight offences under the Health and Safety Act. Their trial is scheduled to take place next year.
News of the latest workplace mishap at the Claridge site came as a shock to Olivier's father, Christian Bruneau.
"It brings back bad memories," Bruneau said. "The coincidence is really bad … I did not expect something like this."
Bruneau said he's haunted every day by the memory of his son's abrupt death.
"This is the memory that comes back consistently," he said. "You wonder, 'Why did that happen? Why did that happen to us?'"
Calls for stiffer penalties
Sean McKenny, president of the Ottawa and District Labour Council, said he was frustrated to hear of yet another workplace injury at the Claridge site.
The council represents more than 50,000 workers in Ottawa — including workers at the Claridge Icon site.
A CBC News investigation in June 2016 had found previous concerns about working conditions at the site in the weeks leading up to Bruneau's death.
"One accident is too many accidents on a construction project," McKenny said.
"Safety — above all else — has to be a priority, so that workers can return [home] at the end of the day."
McKenny wants to see stiffer penalties for companies that fail to protect their workers' safety.