Union members raise funds to help injured steelworker

REGINA Union members from Regina’s Evraz steel plant are collecting money to support their “injured brother and his family” after a serious workplace accident Wednesday morning. According to a statement from Evraz North America, the accident happened at the rolling mill around 7 a.m. The man was taken to hospital by first responders. No other employees were injured.

An Evraz employee told Postmedia News the man lost an arm in the accident. During a staff meeting at the Turvey Centre late Wednesday afternoon, workers were told the injured man was in stable condition. A post to the United Steelworkers Local 5890 website Thursday said union members can donate to help out the injured man and his family. “We have thought about a Gofundme page but have decided, as this will all go directly to them, this is the best option,” the union wrote.

In an emailed statement, Local 5890 president Mike Day said the effort “is not a big community sort of fundraiser” but “something our membership wanted to do for the family in solidarity of our injured brother.”

Day wrote that “out of respect for the family, the union has no comments at this time regarding the injury or incident.”

A post to the union website Wednesday told workers “the United Steelworkers Emergency Response Team is there to help.”

Occupational Health and Safety’s Regina branch sent representatives to start an investigation at the mill on Wednesday.

Evraz said its own investigation had begun into the circumstances around the accident. The company said it will determine how something similar could be prevented from happening in the future.

“Everything starts with safety. Mill leaders are talking with all workers about today’s incident, reviewing vital safety practices and discussing the importance of looking out for each other,” Evraz spokesman Patrick Waldron said in an emailed statement.

The last time a serious injury happened at Evraz’s Regina plant was on Jan. 20, 2009, when a 39-yearold maintenance employee became entangled in the motor driveshaft of a crane hoist. The accident led to Evraz being fined $60,000 after the company pleaded guilty under the The Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to ensure there was an effective safeguard in place to prevent workers from coming into contact with a dangerous moving part of a machine.

It was the largest fine issued for an OHS violation in Saskatchewan that year. A second charge against Evraz was stayed in Regina provincial court.