An inquest has been called into the death of a man who was killed in a gruesome incident in Severn Township more than two years ago.
David Pinkney, 31, died from injuries suffered Feb. 6, 2017, when he was caught between a conveyor belt and a drum.
An inquest is mandatory under the Coroner’s Act.
Mara Goldstein will preside as inquest coroner and Dennis Chronopoulos will be counsel to the coroner.
The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the Orillia man’s death. The jury may make recommendations aimed at preventing future deaths.
According to a court bulletin from the Ministry of Labour in March of 2018, Walker Aggregates Inc. pled guilty and was fined $170,000 in the wake of the incident.
The court bulletin provided the following details
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On Feb. 6, 2017, workers at the Severn quarry were preparing machinery to go back into production after the customary six-week winter shutdown. The start-up process involved ensuring each piece of equipment, including conveyors, were operating. This work involved removing the ice buildup on the two conveyors.
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Two workers were clearing the tension pulley of a conveyor. They had opened the wire mesh gates which restricted access to the pulley, and two were right beside the conveyor. There was no interlocking device in place, and the conveyor could run while the gates were open.
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The conveyor and pulley were moving during this time.
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While removing ice buildup on a pulley on the conveyor, a metal bar being used by the worker was caught by the pinch point formed between the conveyor and the steel drum of the pulley. As the conveyor moved, the bar was pulled in, and the worker holding the bar was pulled in with it, suffering fatal head injuries as a result. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency services.
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Section 196(6) of the Mines and Mining Regulation (Regulation 854) states that a conveyor shall be stopped and the prime mover de-energized, locked and tagged out when the conveyor is undergoing repairs, adjustments or maintenance unless (a) it is necessary to run the conveyor during such work; and (b) effective precautions are taken to prevent injury to a worker from moving parts.
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The Ministry of Labour investigation determined that the conveyor was not de-energized, locked and tagged out while the ice was being removed from the pulley. In addition, it was not necessary to run the conveyor during this task, nor had any precautions been taken to prevent the worker from coming into contact with the conveyor's moving parts.
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These were offences under section 196(6) of the Mining Regulations, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and an offence under section 66(1) of the act.
The date and location of the inquest have not yet been determined.
