Nova Scotia’s Department of Labour is investigating the electrocution death of a lineman working for the province’s power utility.
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Marshall said police responded to a call about a Nova Scotia Power lineman on Wineberry Way in Upper Sackville on Friday around 2:30 p.m.
“When they got there, they determined that a lineman had possibly been electrocuted,” he said in an interview Saturday.
In a statement, Department of Labour spokesperson Khalehla Perreault confirmed the lineman “came into contact with an energized line and died.”
“We send our heartfelt condolences to their loved ones,” she said. “The situation is under investigation and no further details are available at this time.”
Nova Scotia Power president and CEO Peter Gregg said in a statement on Saturday that the company is cooperating fully with the Department of Labour’s investigation.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of one of our power line technicians,” he said. “On behalf of the entire team, we offer our sincere condolences to our colleague’s family. Safety is our number one priority and losing a team member is devastating for our entire organization.”
According to the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia, 20 Nova Scotians died on the job or because of their work in 2021. Five of them were from “acute traumatic injuries” at work, which occurred in the fishing and construction sectors.