A workplace death Tuesday afternoon on a pipeline construction site at the far western edge of Edmonton is under an occupational health and safety investigation.
The accident happened at a work site on the northwestern corner of the intersection between Whitemud Drive and Winterburn Road/215 Street, where a CAT pipelayer machine and a tarp on the ground were taped off.
The worker was struck by a piece of equipment and died, a spokesperson with the government ministry responsible for OHS investigations said.
The location is part of the Trans Mountain pipeline route and workers speaking to police could be seen leaning against sections of pipe.
On Tuesday night, Trans Mountain Corp. issued a statement that said the company was “deeply saddened” by the death of an employee of one of its contractors, SA Energy.
“This is a tragic incident and I know that staff and contractors at both SA Energy and Trans Mountain join me in extending our deepest sympathies to the worker’s family,” said Ian Anderson, president and CEO of Trans Mountain.
“They remain in our thoughts and prayers at this very difficult time.”
SA Energy released the following statement:
“We are deeply saddened to confirm a fatality has occurred at the SA Energy construction site in Edmonton, Alta. Our operations have been put on hold, and we are cooperating fully with Alberta Occupational Health and Safety in respect of the incident. Our prayers and sympathies are with our employee’s family, friends and colleagues during this difficult time.”
Trans Mountain said work at the site of the fatality was immediately stopped and all appropriate authorities were notified.
Edmonton police said officers responded to the scene to make sure the death wasn’t suspicious, but deferred to OHS because a workplace was involved. The province said no other information was available.
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project is designed to triple the capacity of the existing 1950s-era pipeline between Edmonton and a shipping terminal in Burnaby, B.C., to about 890,000 barrels per day of products including diluted bitumen, lighter crudes and refined fuels such as gasoline.
Construction in the Edmonton region has been ongoing for about a year.