Inco Ltd. will plead guilty to numerous charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act relating to the accidental death of a young miner 30 months ago.
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Lawyers for Inco and the Ontario Ministry of Labour will return to court March 24 after finalizing details for a plea agreement in the death of Gord Heffern, 46, who was killed July 29, 2001.
Inco was scheduled to plead guilty Wednesday, but the company and ministry lawyers asked for more time to work out an agreed statement of facts that will be presented in court when the matter returns for resolution March 24.
Heffern died in hospital two days after being seriously injured by an explosion at the Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery.
Heffern was a supervisor with Inco. He and other employees were working on an oxygen pipeline outside the refinery when an explosion took place.
Inco was charged in the summer of 2002 with several counts under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The charges include:
- failure to provide information to a worker or supervisor about a workplace hazard;
- failure to ensure equipment was in good working order;
- failure to provide instruction, supervision and information to a worker in order to protect health and safety;
- two counts of failure to take all reasonable precautions to protect a worker;
Under the act, Inco faces fines of up to $500,000 on each charge.
OntarioÂ?s coronerÂ?s office will call an inquest into HeffernÂ?s death once the case is resolved in the courts. It is mandatory for a coronerÂ?s inquest to be held whenever thereÂ?s a mining death in Ontario.
Inco lawyers will be busy March 24 as the company will answer other charges laid in relation to the death of another miner.
Brian Laughlin, 50, was killed a week after being exposed to nickel carbonyl gas at the Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery in late March 2002.
Inco faces five charges and Inco supervisor Ted CallaghanÂ? he is a veteran City of Greater Sudbury councillorÂ?also faces two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Callaghan was the supervisor in the area where the nickel carbonyl gas released.
