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Inco, Falco face charges

Sudbury?s two nickel giants face numerous charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in relation to fatalities that happened one day apart two years ago. Both Inco Ltd. and Falconbridge Ltd.
Sudbury?s two nickel giants face numerous charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in relation to fatalities that happened one day apart two years ago.

Both Inco Ltd. and Falconbridge Ltd. are facing serious charges after two workers were killed in separate accidents in late July 2001.

The Ministry of Labour charged Inco Ltd. with five counts in relation to the death of Gordon Heffern, who was killed in an explosion at Inco?s Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery while testing a valve on an oxygen line.

Heffern, 46, died in a Buffalo, N.Y. hospital burn unit two days after the incident, which took place on July 27, 2001.

The next day, Kevin Payette was working at Falconbridge?s Fraser Mine in Onaping when he was killed after getting pinned by the gate of an ore chute.

Payette, 35, died in hospital the night after being involved in the accident.

Inco is facing charges of:

Failing to provide information and/or instruction and/or supervision to a worker with respect to the operation or testing of valves on an oxygen system.

Failing to acquaint a worker or person in authority over a worker with a hazard of operating valves on an oxygen line.

Failing to take reasonable precautions of ensuring its oxygen line conformed to good engineering practice and/or recognized guidelines for oxygen enriched systems.

Falconbridge Ltd. is facing charges of:

Failing to ensure that a ?baffle gate? at the 3,600-foot level of Fraser Mine was fenced or guarded.

Failing to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker regarding the safe use of a blasting aid in bringing down an ore pass.

Under provincial legislation, a coroner?s inquest will be held into both deaths. Dates for the respective inquests have yet to be set. They are not expected to be announced until the charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act have been dealt with in court.

Inco lawyers will return to court April 23 in relation to Heffern?s death, while Falconbridge lawyers will return to court June 4.