The death of a firefighter in May 2008 has resulted in the Ministry of Natural Resources being slapped with a $300,000 fine under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Kathleen Bryant, a Greater Sudbury Justice of the Peace, also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The money from this surcharge is placed in a government fund to assist victims of crime.
On May 9, 2008, firefighters, hired seasonally by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), were sent into Killarney Park to burn fine brush material and other debris, called a slash pile, as a preventative measure.
During the burning of the slash pile, a crew leader began a training exercise in the use of a drip torch. A drip torch is used to add liquid fuel to flammable material in order to create controlled burns or establish fire breaks.
It consists of a resevoir for the fuel, and a long thin nozzel that drips oil past an igniter. Drops of flaming oil drop to the ground, setting fire to areas around it. It is safer than dousing an area with fuel and setting it on fire manually, but still requires special training to be used safely.
During the training exercise, a crew leader used the torch to add fuel to the fire, as it had begun to die down. The fire flared up, engulfing the crew leader. He suffered severe burns and later died. Two firefighters who tried to help him also suffered minor burns.
An investigation into the incident by the Ministry of Labour revealed that while all firefighters present had personal proctective equipment (PPE), none of them were wearing a full suit at the time of the incident.
The MNR pled guilty to failing, as an employer, to take reasonable precautions regarding the use of PPE, especially in regards to mixing fuels, using a "drip torch," and burning slash piles.
