Date of incident: May 2023
Notice of incident number: 2023197990005
Employer: Municipal government

Incident summary
Workers were cleaning and flushing a section of storm pipes along a municipal roadway. One worker was monitoring a storm drain access hole located in a green space nearly 3 m off the roadway, on the outside of a 60° corner. A vehicle travelling along the roadway jumped the curb and struck the worker. The worker sustained fatal injuries.

Investigation conclusions

Cause

• Vehicle sped through work zone and struck worker. The vehicle sped through the work zone at 86 km/h, did not negotiate the corner, drove off the road, and struck the worker. The speed limit was 30 km/h, and the work zone was set up in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s requirements.

Other health and safety issues

• Worker exposure to traffic. Work on or near roadways exposes workers to traffic hazards. The first control to consider is eliminating the hazard where practicable. Municipalities should take into account the frequency and duration of worker exposure to traffic when planning the installation and maintenance of municipal infrastructure near roadways.

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