Montreal has completely banned its firefighters from exercising in its station garages after a worker was seriously injured playing pickleball last summer.
Published at 1:23 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
The firefighter fell through a glass door, shattering it and inflicting extremely deep cuts that will likely keep him out of work for years, according to his union.
He’s not the only Montreal firefighter to be injured in a similar incident. According to a report by the Working Commission on Standards, Equity, Health and Safety (CNESST), around 16 occupational accidents and incidents related to fitness activities were recorded in the barracks in the last two years. These events range from the most benign to the most serious.
“There is a need to monitor fitness exercises for firefighters during shifts,” says the document, drawn up on the basis of the Law on Access to Documents of Public Bodies and Protection of Personal Data. “Further analysis needs to be done. »
Until the accident, Montreal firefighters used the space in their fire station (sometimes by pulling out the trucks) to have fun while training. “The boys played hockey and volleyball,” said Chris Ross, president of the Montreal Firefighters Association (APM), last week.
It was a game of pickleball (a racket sport) that turned tragic for a firefighter at Station 38 in Pointe-aux-Trembles last July. “An imbalance caused the worker to hit the garage door and break two low garage door windows,” the CNESST report said. “He opened his arms like Subway,” Mr. Ross summarizes, referring to the sliced submarine rolls throughout.
“We have no choice”
Since then, the sport has continued to be banned in barracks garages. An initial administrative directive was issued in July and was extended until the end of next January. According to CNESST, it is likely to remain permanent.
Most of the Montreal Fire Department’s (SIM) 66 stations are equipped with exercise rooms with fitness equipment, but playing team sports is virtually impossible. Some rare barracks have sports fields.
“While we await the results of the investigation, a joint committee has been set up to collect the necessary information to review the monitoring of sports activities in the barracks,” explained Guy Lapointe, head of department at SIM. “The use of places that are specifically designed for sporting activities is exempt from this ban. »
Mr Lapointe reiterated that SIM continues to work with employee representatives on this matter. The APM also agrees with the employer’s decision to ban sports in fire department garages.
“We have no choice,” Mr. Ross said. This is all the more the case as fire department garages are contaminated by carcinogenic residues from firefighting equipment. “It’s not necessarily the right place for fitness either,” he added. We need to paint a picture and look for other possible solutions. »
The SIM had already banned certain sports practices in its barracks. Since 2015, “the SIM has intervened on a number of occasions to specifically prohibit certain activities (e.g., 300-pound flip pull, box jump, and wall climbing).”