The ArcelorMittal employee who suffered serious injuries in a June 2019 industrial accident at the Mount Wright mining complex in Fermont testified Tuesday in the trial of the mining company accused of criminal negligence.
Jason Lemieux described the circumstances of the ligament break that caused the accident. The young employee had two years of experience at ArcelorMittal when the accident occurred, which notably resulted in facial paralysis.
The worker was responsible for regularly measuring the temperature of a part of a huge conveyor that was prone to overheating. A chain and drive parts for rotating the conveyor rollers had to be lubricated regularly. While the worker was completing this task, a breakdown occurred. The chain guard that was supposed to protect her in the event of a break came off.
Jason Lemieux fell and passed out. When he came to, he couldn't get up because his leg was stuck. He was able to reach a control panel to activate the conveyor's emergency stop. He called for help on his radio.
Recordings of conversations between employees over radio waves served as evidence. It seemed difficult for the victim to listen to this document. We hear Jason Lemieux asking colleagues to help him without clearly saying he is hurt.
He only realized he had suffered head injuries when a colleague who arrived at the scene told him he had blood in his ears.
When Jason Lemieux appeared in court, he stated that he had suffered a fractured skull. He now lives with deafness in his left ear and partial facial paralysis.
He stated that before the accident he knew about the problem with the equipment that he had to lubricate regularly, particularly because a clicking noise had been heard for some time.
According to his observations, the chain guard that was supposed to ensure his safety was old, poorly maintained and the screws that held it in place were missing.