Alan Fraser's workplace hit with safety orders before fatality

A Halifax company under investigation for a workplace death last year was hit with more than a dozen safety orders in the two and a half years leading up to the fatality, CBC News has learned.

Construction worker Alan Fraser, 21, died Nov. 7, 2013, after falling from the roof of a six storey building under construction in Clayton Park. The construction site is owned by Parkland Construction.

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A CBC Nova Scotia Investigation has learned the Department of Labour issued Parkland Construction 17 safety orders between Feb. 14, 2011 and Nov. 7, 2013.

Parkland was ordered to pay three fines totalling $4,400.

The orders related to work on three Halifax-area construction sites. On all three sites, the company was ordered to install guardrails or other measures to prevent workers from falling.

Timeline

• Feb. 14, 2011: The company was ordered to install guardrails or safety harnesses for workers at a site at 290 Larry Uteck Dr. It was also ordered to provide adequate headwear and to provide a type of chute to handle debris at that address.
• Feb. 26, 2013: The company was ordered to install adequate fall protection at 112 Greenpark Close. It was also ordered to secure compressed gas cylinders and powder-activated tools. At 110 Greenpark Close, where Alan Fraser worked, inspectors issued two sets of safety orders.
• Aug. 29, 2013: Parkland Construction was ordered to install guardrails, supervise fall-related issues, require fall protection for people at risk of falling more than three metres, and repair a ladder.
• Oct. 11, 2013: The company was ordered to create a written fall protection plan, ensure workers had fall protection training and provide proof of scheduling.

Questions remain

Fraser's parents tell CBC News they still don't know whether their son was wearing a harness or any type of fall protection and they don't know if he had received training to work at that height.

Department of Labour investigators are still looking into Fraser's death. Labour Minister Kelly Regan says she can't, at this point, reveal any details or say how long it will take.

"We owe it to the families and to young Mr. Fraser to do a thorough job on the investigation so that we know what really happened there and, if charges are appropriate, that we can lay them and that we lay the appropriate charge and that they stick," she said.

In a written statement, Parkland Construction owner James Kanellakos says the company is co-operating fully with the investigation and its thoughts are with Fraser's family and friends.

"We can assure you that Parkland Construction places significant emphasis on the health and safety of its employees," the statement said.

The department has two years to complete its investigation.