By Daniel Nugent-Bowman
Your Ottawa Region
MANOTICK, Ontario — A 26-year-old man was crushed to death in an industrial accident in Manotick this morning, March 25.
Emergency services were called to Green Valley Environmental Services at 6107 1st Line Rd. just before 8:30 a.m. to attend to the man who had been compressed in the cab of his excavator after chunks of a 12-metre high gravel pile fell on him.
He was declared dead shortly after the paramedics’ arrival.
“We had access to the person to be able to make a very quick assessment,” Ottawa paramedic service spokesman J.P. Trottier said. “Of course, because of the injuries, he was declared deceased immediately.”
Trottier said that even though the top of the cabin had crushed the worker, they were able to open the door of the excavator fairly easily.
“It was crushed down a little bit but still stood open, which allowed the paramedics to access the man when they arrived,” he said.
The man was loading the gravel into a large dump truck adjacent to the pyramidal-shaped pile when it caved in.
Trottier believes weather may have played a factor in its collapse.
“I guess some sections of it at the top broke away probably from the moisture of the rain we’ve had and the cold night we had (Wednesday) night may have frozen some parts of it,” he said.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour is investigating the incident.
Green Valley is a septic systemand waste water management company.
When contacted by telephone, a spokesperson for Green Valley declined to comment.
Copyright 2010 Toronto Star Newspapers, Ltd.