.

Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A man who lost part of his leg in an accident last summer at the Snare hydro plant said he is relieved charges have been laid by the NWT Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission.

Charges have been brought against multiple parties in the case of Tim Mcauley, shown here in June 2008, shortly after an accident at Snare Hydro Power facility cost him part of his right leg. - NNSL file photo

Tim Mcauley, originally from Hay River, was working as an equipment operator for Carter Industries, a contractor for the NWT Power Corporation, at the hydro power plant 150 km northwest of Yellowknife on June 3, 2008. He had been working there for 15 weeks when some rigging snapped and dropped a Bailey bridge - a portable, pre-fabricated truss bridge - onto his right foot.

The commission issued a press release on Friday announcing 25 charges had been laid under the NWT Safety Act and General Safety Regulations against the NWT Power Corp; Carter Industries Ltd.; Mandeville Engineering Inc.; Tim Boyce, an employee of Carter Industries; and Lloyd Mandeville, an employee of Mandeville Engineering.

"I'm happy to know something is finally getting done," said Mcauley on Monday.

He said the compensation commission has a year to lay charges in this type of case.

"Hopefully the right people are held at fault," he added.

The first 15 charges are against all five parties and the additional 10 charges are against the two named individuals, Boyce and Mandeville.

The charges were laid in territorial court on Friday for "failing to take all responsible precautions and carry out all reasonable techniques and procedures to ensure the health and safety of the workers, and for failing to properly instruct and supervise the workers," according to the press statement.

Mcauley told Yellowknifer last June that at the time of the accident the bridge was being lifted higher than necessary and other workers on the site were using chains on the bridge when they should have been using slings. He said there had not been proper training on rigging, which contributed to the accident.

Mcauley said a loader, a piece of heavy equipment, was used to take the bridge off his leg, now amputated just below the knee. He was put in a van and medevaced from the power plant airstrip to Stanton Territorial Hospital.

He said it was well over an hour before he received medical treatment.

The first court appearance for the accused is scheduled for territorial court on June 30.