Irving Shipbuilding in Nova Scotia has taken action to suspend several workers following their refusal to report for work at the Halifax shipyard due to safety concerns, as reported.
Mel Schori, the director of communications and government relations at Irving Shipbuilding, confirmed to CTV News via email that a work refusal occurred at the Halifax Shipyard. This decision follows an earlier tragic incident on Feb. 19, where Irving Shipyard confirmed the death of a worker at the same site.
The work refusal incident is currently under investigation by the Department of Labour. Schori further explained that, as part of the standard procedure for addressing work refusals, representatives from the Department of Labour reviewed the circumstances and determined the work refusal to be unjustified.
The ongoing investigations by Halifax Regional Police and the Department of Labour are focused on the incident resulting in the death of 43-year-old Jamie Knight. According to Sari Sairanen, executive assistant to the secretary treasurer at Unifor, Knight was fatally struck by a front loader while performing duties outside his usual scope, specifically while clearing snowbanks at the shipyard.
In response to the incident, the Department of Labour issued a stop work order for all snow removal equipment and processes at the site. This order remains in effect as the department continues its investigation into Knight’s death. Manager of Communications Nova Scotia, MacLean, emphasized the complexity of workplace investigations, which may take up to two years to complete, while also mentioning that the department addressed complaints at the site on Tuesday.
Furthermore, MacLean encouraged all Nova Scotians to prioritize workplace safety, highlighting that workplace safety is a shared responsibility. Meanwhile, Irving Shipbuilding declined to provide additional comments on the ongoing developments, as reported by CTV News.