Renovation work on the Bersimis 1 and 2 hydroelectric power stations, north of Forestville, was stopped a few days after workers denounced safety breaches.
The regional union representative of the Union of Heavy Machinery Operators, Bernard “Rambo” Gauthier, visited the site this week to see how fed up the workers were. The latter claim that one of the Hydro-Québec managers on site does not take their complaints seriously, putting their safety at risk.
“It’s gone to hell. The workers have had enough and they simply don’t want to see him on the job site again. […] It’s non-negotiable, he’s gone too far,” says the colorful unionist who says he wants to make a heartfelt cry to protect these fathers and mothers.
Employees want to avoid tragedies like those that occurred on the Romaine construction site. Several accidents, including four fatalities, have occurred there.
Rock face deemed dangerous
In 2017, significant corrective measures were put in place on the mega-construction site in order to improve the health and safety of workers. “Rambo” Gauthier affirms, however, that this strategy for preventing serious or fatal accidents is no longer followed as rigorously, if not at all.
A Hydro-Québec manager even mentioned to employees on the site that he did not have the budget to secure a rock wall, even if a geologist was not comfortable with the risks of collapse.
In 2017, a similar situation cost the life of Luc Arpin at Romaine. A segment of a rock wall collapsed before burying him while he was operating his excavator. According to the CNESST, it was crushed by 4,300 metric tons of rock. His remains were then recovered after two weeks, due to the risk of another fall.
“A human life should not be priceless. It hurts to go to funeral services, support families and see children crying. Many have experienced it and no one wants to relive it, so we want to regain the standards of excellence that we had in terms of health and safety at Romaine,” maintains Mr. Gauthier.
Hydro removes manager
For its part, the state-owned company assures that there are currently no financial or schedule issues regarding the work on the rock massif. She also says she noted that the wall posed risks from the start and that a security perimeter was demarcated before any work in this area.
The state company, however, decided on Friday to respond to the union’s demands and remove the manager in question from the site, Rambo Gauthier announced on social networks.
The union representative said he was hopeful of having resolved the issue once and for all so that conflicts of this type would no longer be repeated on major projects that will get underway in the years to come.
