Head trauma sustained by witness prevents him from recalling fatal incident

Millwright Justin Stewart doesn't remember going to examine the jammed crusher with Paul Rochette the night of April 6, 2014.

Stewart testified yesterday afternoon at the coroner's inquest into Rochette's death at Vale's smelter in Copper Cliff.

The court previously heard testimony that a metal object had become stuck in the jaws of the crusher during the day shift.

Attempts to dislodge that object had been unsuccessful. 

Eric Labelle, a supervisor on the night shift, said Rochette and Stewart offered to have a look at the crusher when they arrived for their shift.

But Stewart was unable to describe what happened next, due to memory loss.

Ministry of Labour inspector Shaun Carter, who was one of the first people called to the scene, said he found evidence Rochette had used a torch in an attempt to melt and dislodge the metal object.

My memory picks up, I'm in the hospital, I have a neckbrace on and I'm looking up at my wife-Millwright Justin Stewart

The metal object is called a moil point, which is part of a tool used to break up the hard ore material going through the crusher. The moil broke off and became jammed in the crusher during the day shift. 

It is believed the object was then propelled from the crusher.

Rochette died as a result of severe head trauma.

Stewart sustained serious injuries, including a fractured skull. He says he lost about 24 hours of his memory.

"My memory picks up, I'm in the hospital, I have a neckbrace on and I'm looking up at my wife," he recalled.

Stewart suffered a fractured jaw and broken bones; now has titanium plates in his head, and suffers from PTSD and depression.

No written procedures in place

The court also heard from workers and supervisors who were on the night shift with both men.

Several of the witnesses testified that there was no written procedure to deal with a jammed crusher at the time.

Vale has already pleaded guilty to four charges under Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act in 2016.

Today is the third day of the five-day inquest, which takes place in a Sudbury courtroom.

The goal of the inquest this week isn't to place further liability on any one person or company, but rather to prevent such an incident from happening again.

Dr. Ray Sawkiw is presiding as the inquest's coroner and 13 witnesses are expected to take the stand by week's end.

In an email, Vale's spokesperson Angie Robson says the company has every intention to participate in the inquest.