Continuation of$ 3.9 Million for the death of a worker

News 10 March, 2018
  • Photo courtesy
    The mechanical shovel of Steeve Barriault had been completely submerged after the ice that sustained it had given way, march 11, 2015.

    Pierre-Paul Biron

    Saturday, 10 march, 2018 00:00

    UPDATE
    Saturday, 10 march, 2018 00:00

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    Members of the family and colleagues of a worker drowned to death in his shovel mechanics in 2015, with the construction of The Roman, continue to Hydro-Québec for$ 3.9 Million, confident that the Crown corporation is responsible for the terrible accident.

    Operator of a mechanical excavator for the company Neilson-EBC, Steeve Barriault has perished in circumstances of atrocious, march 11, 2015, as he worked to clear concrete slabs at the bottom of a pit filled with water.

    Photo courtesy

    Steeve Barriault was 39 years old when he perished with the construction of The Roman.

    Under the weight of the machinery, the ice holding the shovel broke, so tip the man to a certain death. Colleagues, have attempted to smash the glass of the cabin blows of the hammer, of mass and of the foot-of-doe “, but without success.

    “Steve Barriault died in the darkness […], separated from the survival by less than an inch of metal and glass, locked in a cabin armoured […], on a construction site the hazardous Hydro-Québec must ensure the safety “, one can read in the continuation of nearly$ 4 Million filed by the family lawyer, Marc Baker.

    $ 3.9 Million to 17 applicants

    In total, 17 persons claiming damage to Hydro-Québec in the lawsuit filed Thursday in the palais de justice de Sept-Îles.

    The son of Mr. Barriault, his mother, his brother, his sister, his nephews and nieces, his brother-in-law, sister-in-law and co-site witnesses of his death and shared the$ 3.9 Million requested in punitive damages and compensatory.

    The estate claims include$ 1.7 Million for loss of income, loss, and the horrific circumstances in which the man has died, on the night of march 11, 2015.

    “Steeve Barriault has suffered extensive moral damages in the interminable minutes before his death,” describes the lawsuit, saying that the man cried “he did not want to die,” and begged him ” to the kind of cage that was sinking slowly into the frigid water. “

    Broken family

    The family had already met with The Journal in 2016, the father of the victim stating at this point that he will not forgive never to Hydro-Québec of what had happened.

    File Photo, Annie T. Roussel

    The victim’s family had met with The Journal in 2016 with his lawyer of the time, Me Marc Bellemare. Anne-Marie Maloney, Clement Barriault and Dany Barriault blamed Hydro-Québec for the tragic accident.

    “Every night, I hear my son screaming for help. I want that Hydro-Québec recognizes that they made her undergo this kind of suffering. They destroy lives, families, and they don’t care “, said Clement Barriault, who has since died during a fishing trip in may of 2017, a tragedy that has afflicted the family.

    Hydro-Québec has already been blamed by the CNESST in a report is rather damning on the accident, published in November 2015. The State-owned company, which has refused to comment on the continuation of the family Barriault, ensures, however, have put measures in place since then.

     

    Excerpts from the prosecution

    “Steeve Barriault died alone, locked in his cabin […] screaming that he did not want to die and begging for him to be taken from his cage that was sinking slowly into the frigid water. “

    “[Colleagues] have all attempted to leave Steeve Barriault of his cabin, before it is completely submerged. […] They have witnessed, and helpless to the tragedy and the death of their friend and colleague begging which was drowning before their eyes. “

    “This is a cascade of continuous errors, errors, and omissions on the part of Hydro-Quebec that led to the disaster of march 11, 2015. “

     

    Hydro defends its actions

    The CNESST was widely blamed for Hydro-Quebec for the death of Steeve Barriault in a report of risk with the construction of The Roman.

    Hydro-Quebec argues, however, that methods have changed on the site on the north of the province.

    In his report following the death of the operator of the mechanical shovel in march 2015, the CNESST denounced by Hydro-Québec for a “poor management of the work” and the absence of a comprehensive analysis of the land before the work.

    Changes

    Asked about what has been done since the death of Mr. Barriault, the Crown corporation says that ” one accident is still one accident too many “.

    Since the death of Steeve Barriault, Hydro-Québec is pleased to have added agents of change in health and safety on the construction site, to hold meetings, day-to-day security, require training of home and to hold awareness-raising workshops with heavy vehicles.

    In total, four workers have died on the construction site of La Romaine since 2009. In addition to Steeve Barriault, the death of Luc Arpin, whose corpse could not be removed until two weeks after her death, debris from his mechanical shovel buried under 4300 tons of rock had a lot done talking.