Séchoirs de Beauce and Bois Ouvré are facing eight counts of criminal negligence more than a year and a half after the explosion that killed three workers at their Beauceville plant.
• Also read: Eight people are injured in an explosion in Beauceville
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On September 20, 2021, Jean Lachance, Martin Roy and Mario Morin put their lives on the line while trying to put out a fire on the roof of the 134th Street building where work was going on.
Photo archive, QMI Agency (Marc Vallières)
An explosion occurred just before 8 a.m., killing the three men and injuring five others who required hospitalization.
After a lengthy investigation, the Director of Prosecutions and Law Enforcement (DPCP) filed eight charges against the companies Séchoirs de Beauce and Bois Ouvré on May 19.
There are three cases of criminal negligence causing death and five cases of criminal negligence causing personal injury.
Photo archive, QMI Agency (Marc Vallières)
To that end, the DPCP made particular reference to the Westray Act, an amendment to the Criminal Code that “imposes a duty on all organizations and all persons who oversee the work in Canada with regard to the health and safety of others”.
Rare charges
This is a lever that has been used very seldom since it was introduced in 2004, claims union representative of the Syndicat des Métallos, François Cardinal. In his opinion, we can count on one hand the number of times charges were filed for this change.
“It’s really rare, so we welcome the DPCP’s decision to get to the bottom of things. The fact that this tragic situation has real consequences will certainly make employers improve their workplace health and safety departments,” he says, saying he is thinking of the families of the victims who are going through many emotions.
Since the tragic incident, the factory that was reduced to rubble in the explosion has been rebuilt a few minutes from the scene of the fire.
When asked to respond, the companies targeted by the charges responded via email that they would prefer not to comment at this time “out of concern for the victims and their families.”
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