A former employee for Best Green Hedges told court on Tuesday that he did not receive any workplace safety training prior to the death of his 20-year-old coworker two years ago. Read MoreMarc-André Gosselin, Nicholas Chenier’s helper on May 5, 2023, was called to testify at the trial of supervisor Steven Deans.
Marc-André Gosselin, Nicholas Chenier’s helper on May 5, 2023, was called to testify at the trial of supervisor Steven Deans.
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A former employee for Best Green Hedges told court on Tuesday that he did not receive any workplace safety training prior to the death of his 20-year-old coworker two years ago.
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Nicholas Chenier, a foreman for the hedge-trimming company, was working at a residential property on Jean Park Road in Manotick on May 5, 2023. He was electrocuted when the hedge trimmer he was using touched a 16,000-volt power line in the hedges.
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According to an agreed statement of facts, Chenier was using an aluminum ladder and a battery-powered hedge trimmer before he was electrocuted.
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The Evening Citizen
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He was pronounced dead an hour after the incident.
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Best Green supervisor Steven Deans is charged with criminal negligence causing death. On Monday, he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
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Crown attorney Anne Fitzpatrick alleged in her opening statement on Monday that Deans showed a “reckless disregard” to Chenier’s life by directing him to work in dangerous conditions without proper training and equipment, violating Ontario labour laws.
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Marc-André Gosselin, Chenier’s helper on May 5, 2023, was called to testify on Tuesday.
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Speaking to the court through a French interpreter, Gosselin said he regularly operated hedge-trimming tools while standing on ladders at best Green Hedges, something he had done before while working in Quebec.
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He said Deans only provided verbal training when he was first employed by the company, but didn’t recall what was said.
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Gosselin also said he was not required to take a basic health and safety course, nor was he provided with a copy of Occupational Safety Training Outline 2013 by the company until after the death of Chenier.
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Occupational Safety Training Outline 2013 is basic occupational health and safety training that all employers must provide to employees and supervisors. It outlines duties, rights, common hazards, roles of safety bodies and the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHIMS).
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Deans also only provided verbal and visual training on how to position and use a ladder, Gosselin said. He said he was never shown how to use an aluminum ladder around energized power lines before the incident.
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Gosselin also said Deans never taught him to use power equipment. He said he was not required to read the operator manual for any gas-powered hedge trimmer he used, nor Deans provide further training on the use of those tools.