Government defends decision on crane's safety
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 | 8:16 PM CT
CBC News
The Saskatchewan government is fending off accusations from the NDP Opposition that it's endangering workers by failing to enforce occupational health and safety rules at a work site.
At issue is a crane being used to build the massive Loblaws grocery warehouse west of Regina.
During question period Wednesday, NDP MLA Andy Iwanchuk repeated accusations he made on Tuesday that there were safety problems with the crane and the government shouldn't have allowed it to operate.
"This is a life and death decision, because this equipment routinely lifts 10 tonnes or more of steel over the heads of iron workers," he said.
Iwanchuk said he was in possession of a safety report that said there were nine separate safety problems with the crane, including cracks on a boom, bulging areas and broken latches.
He also said the safety co-ordinator at the site, Victor Haire, had quit because the company operating the crane had continued to use an unsafe crane at the site "in violation of Saskatchewan law."
Labour Minister Rob Norris had little to say Tuesday, but told the legislature Wednesday the rules allow cranes certified in other juridictions to operate in Saskatchewan as long they they follow the regulations.
The government has determined the crane "is safely operating," he said.
"Our occupational health and safety officers have been on site five times, Mr. Speaker, well in advance of the last 24 hours. We've visited twice in the last 24 hours," Norris said.
Norris later clarified that the two most recent visits were included in the five.
Steve Mullins, an official with the Ontario-based company that owns the crane, X-Act Contracting Ltd., told CBC News that while the crane wasn't certified in Saskatchewan, it had been inspected by a Canadian engineer.
"On his desk, he's got a big diploma on the wall," Mullins said. "He says he's a Canadian engineer, it doesn't say excluding Saskatchewan. But I guess in this backwoods village out here, they got their own standards."
Norris told reporters he wanted to be "reasonable" in allowing the company to get its paperwork in order, and insisted occupational health and safety was a priority for the Saskatchewan Party goverment.
Iwanchuk said the province told the company to replace one hook and has given it the green light to continue, a response he said was inadequate.
