METRO VANCOUVER — Two companies and three directors pleaded guilty today to failing to ensure the health and safety of three Langley mushroom farm workers who died and two who suffered brain damage.
The companies, A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. and H.V. Truong Ltd., along with three directors and supervisors, will be sentenced Sept. 16 at Surrey Provincial Court.
They pleaded guilty to four counts of contravening Workers Compensation Act and health and safety regulations.
The maximum penalty of the offences is a fine of $619,271 for a first offence and six months in jail.
The 2008 incident resulted in the deaths of Ut Tran, Jimmy Chan and Ham Pham.
Their colleagues, Michael Phan and Thang Tchen, suffered irreversible brain damage after breathing in hydrogen sulphide and ammonia.
A total of 29 charges, which are not criminal offences, were laid last August after a 20-month investigation by WorkSafeBC into what went wrong at the mushroom composting facility at 23751 16th Avenue in Langley.
The charges were brought under the Workers’ Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations,
The probe was delayed initially because of the presence of hazardous materials in the composting operation for seven months following the tragedy.
The mushroom composting operation ceased after the accident but that the mushroom farm still operates at the same location.
In addition to A-1 Mushroom Substratum Ltd. and H.V. Truong Ltd., charged were three brothers involved in H.V. Truong Ltd. — Ha Qua Truong, Vy Tri Truong, and Van Thi Truong — as well as A-1 owner and supervisor Thinh Huu Doan.
Ha Qua Truong, Van Thi Truong and Thinh Huu Doan pleaded guilty Friday.
Charges were stayed against Vy Tri Truong because of insufficient evidence.
The pleas were admissions to failing to ensure the health and safety of workers.
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