Crisis specialist aims to help in wake of smelter worker death
Visitation for Paul Rochette will be held today at the Co-Operative Funeral Home in Sudbury
A system set up by the United Steelworkers to help people cope with the aftermath of a workplace fatality is being put to the test in Sudbury this week.
A spokesperson with the national union said a specially trained emergency response person is in Sudbury to assess and co-ordinate services for family and co-workers of Paul Rochette, who died at Vale’s Copper Cliff Smelter Sunday evening.
Rochette, 36, died of head trauma, and his co-worker, 28, was seriously injured in an incident at the mining company's smelter near Sudbury.
The union’s Gerry Leblanc said the response person can help with many thing to help those incapacitated by grief.
“It might be a simple matter of going to the workplace and bringing the person's vehicle back to the house,” Leblanc said. “It might be making sure the dog gets let out.”
The response person is not a counsellor, but can arrange for counselling.
“Any sort of counselling, not just … grief counselling,” he said, adding some may require financial advice. “Anything that may be wearing on people at the time of the tragedy.”
Leblanc says the worker may be of assistance for up to a year.
Meanwhile, a visitation for Rochette will be held Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9:30 p.m at the Co-Operative Funeral Home in Sudbury.
According to his obituary, Rochette leaves behind two children: Isabella and Skyler.
His obituary also says he was an avid outdoorsman who loved to share that passion with his loved ones.
The funeral will be held on Thursday at 11 a.m. at Paroisse St. Joseph in Chelmsford.
The family has requested donations be made to the Sick Kids Foundation.