Coroner's inquest into worker death ends with calls for safer equipment
Better safety gear, more stable equipment could prevent similar accidents, jury recommends
After two days of emotional testimony, the coroner's inquest into the death of Adam Carleton has concluded with two recommendations from the jury.
Carleton, 33, was insulating a heating pipe at the new Irving Oil headquarters in Saint John when he fell from a 10-foot stepladder on Feb. 5, 2018, sustaining a catastrophic traumatic brain injury.
The 13 witnesses who testified at the inquest at the Saint John Law Courts included coworkers; first responders; forensic investigators; the owner of Carleton's employer, Grandview Insulation Contractor Inc.; and representatives from WorkSafeNB, the Crown corporation which investigated the incident.
Although there were about 200 workers on the site the day Carleton died, no one witnessed the fatal fall.
The jury determined it happened as the result of an accident.
Improved safety gear
The jury issued two recommendations intended to improve safety on construction sites.
The first recommendation was that tradespeople who work at heights should wear a climber's helmet.
Unlike a hard hat, a climber's helmet has a snug, adjustable strap, covers the head from several angles, and cannot be knocked off.
Carleton was wearing a hard hat, the inquest heard, which was found on the floor a distance away from where he fell.
But the headgear wasn't designed to protect the wearer in a fall.
"They're not designed for that," said Richard Blais, director of the chief compliance office at WorkSafeNB.
Secure equipment
The jury also recommended that, when practical, tradespeople should use the most stable equipment — a scissor lift, or staging — instead of ladders.
According to Kevin Bennett, an inspector with WorkSafeNB, the ladder Carleton had been using "appeared to be brand new" and was "in perfect working order."
As a Red Seal electrician who was trained in ladder safety, Carleton was "competent to use a ladder and work off a ladder," Bennett said.
"The ladder was new ... There was no debris in the area where the incident took place. There were no obstructions on the floor, and it was dry and clean."
Bennett said the WorkSafeNB investigation was "unable to determine the root cause of the incident" and recommended that no charges be laid.
Responses to be considered
The Office of the Chief Coroner will forward the jury's recommendations to the appropriate government departments and agencies for consideration and response.
The recommendations are non-binding.
The responses will be included in the chief coroner's annual report.
Since Carleton's death, WorkSafe NB has launched a campaign promoting the safe use of ladders - specifically, that even a fall from a short distance off a ladder can be fatal.
—@thewrightpageLadder safety key
Carleton's death has led WorkSafeNB to launch a new campaign around ladder safety in the workplace.
Any time people are working at heights, the inquest heard, there is an elevated risk of serious accident.
Blais testified that WorkSafeNB has been made aware of more than 30 workplace accidents in the past five or six years that have involved ladders.
"Ladders are a big deal," Blais said. "This is a small province, so this is big. And we're talking serious injuries.
"Falls are definitely at the top when it comes to serious injuries and death [in the workplace]."
Hardworking, loved by family
A framed picture of Carleton was on display throughout the proceedings.
He was remembered by his mother, Wendy Carleton, and aunt, Maria Braam, as a loving son who "never had a harsh word for anyone," and by co-worker Nick Melvin as the sort of fun, hardworking guy you "wanted to work with."
Police who attended the scene described Carleton's death as an "an absolute, tragic accident."
When Sgt. Tanya Lawlor arrived at 30 King Square South on Feb. 5, 2018, "there was no indication of a struggle or of foul play at the scene," she said.
"It was a horrific accident that resulted in death."