'Always put your safety first,' says widow of worker killed at Tecumseh tool and die plant

The widow of the man killed on the job at Saturn Tool and Die in Tecumseh, Ont., says she hasn't received so much as a phone call of condolence from the company, which has just been fined $180,000 and a victim surcharge in the death of her husband.

Michelle Tremblay-Mills is warning other workers to always put their safety first because "you are just a number."

"You can be replaced tomorrow," she said. "So always put your safety first."

Darrell Mills, 58, entered a nearly 2,500 tonne stamping press at Saturn in March 2022 to troubleshoot a quality control problem, according to a bulletin from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

He entered through the light curtain, causing the press to stop. But he did not lock out the machine by putting its ram blocks into place and plugging in the electronic lock-out plugs, the ministry said.

Investigation finds safety violations were common

A ministry investigation found that was common practice at the company at the time.

In the incident in question, another worker restarted the machine, killing Darrell.

The court found Saturn Tool and Die (Windsor) Inc. failed in its legal duty as an employer to ensure that the press was properly stopped and blocked during the troubleshooting examination.

Saturn Tool and Die did not respond to requests for comment. 

The ruling and fine bring closure, Michelle said, but $180,000 is a paltry sum for a human life.

What's more, she said, none of that money actually comes to her family: she is living paycheck to paycheck trying to hold onto her home, which is in need of repairs she can't afford.

Michelle remembers Darrell as silly and funny and someone who could fix anything, she said.

"All he cared about was his family. ... Every Saturday night, we'd put a fire in the wood burning stove and we'd watch movies."

Their daughter, Danielle, 22, said her dad was a music lover and fan of the movie The Greatest Showman, who was always joking around with her.

"He was the only one that actually really got me," she said.

"We just had so many inside jokes, and he always made me laugh, and he was so talented."

'Totally lost control' after learning what happened

One the morning of his death, Michelle received a call from Darrell's workplace saying he'd had an accident and was on his way to hospital. But she didn't get an indication of the gravity of the situation, she said.

She assumed it was no big deal until she was taken into a room at the hospital and told what had happened. 

"He passed away, and immediately we found out it was at work, and it was in a press, and we just totally lost control," she said.

"There's no describing that feeling. I wouldn't wish it on anybody."

Danielle recalled laying on the couch watching Netflix when the call came in from the company.

"It's just hard when you go from a normal day to just, your whole world changes in one instant," she said.

The family also have two sons, aged 26 and 30, Michelle said — one of whom also works in the trades.

'A slap in the face'

"He made sure that he went into a company that didn't have a press," she said.

"He is so full of anger and loss. It just ruined him. He's struggling so much still."

Michelle said the company has never called her, never sent a card, and never offered help.

"They just cut off all ties," she said. "They cut off our benefits. I have no benefits. I can't go to the dentist."

The president of the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) said fines for companies in cases where workers are injured or killed need to be tougher. 

The OFL has a campaign called Kill A Worker Go to Jail that advocates for police to investigate workplace deaths and lay charges where appropriate, Laura Walton said.

"I agree with the family," Walton said.

"$180,000 for the life of anyone is a slap in the face. And let's be very clear, these fines are like business write-offs, right?"

If companies actually paid a substantial price for the deaths of workers, they would not have workplace cultures that encouraged circumventing health and safety procedures, she added.

Workers, she said, also need to know that they have a right to refuse unsafe work and to bring safety issues forward without fear of retribution.