Leduc rocked by deaths of three men killed on the job
EDMONTON The deaths of three men in an industrial workplace accident at the Leduc Business Park Thursday has shocked the tightknit community, Leduc Mayor Bob Young says as occupational health and safety officials continue to investigate.
Few details have been officially released about the accident that happened sometime between 2 and 2:30 p.m. at Millennium Cryogenic Technologies. The men were aged 31,34 and 52 and all worked at the business.
OHS investigators remain on scene and have spoken with the owner of the company, Alberta Labour spokesman Trent Bancarz said Friday afternoon.
“Deaths at workplaces, they’re always terrible incidents. Your thoughts always go out to workers’ families, their friends and their coworkers,” he said.
Bancarz said they have few details on what the workers were doing when the accident took place and the cause.
Mounties said they responded to the premises, which are located just east of the Queen Elizabeth II Highway and south of Airport Road, at 2:55 p.m. along with the fire department and emergency services.
The men died at the scene, Mounties said.
The owner of a nearby business in the same building said he didn’t hear or see anything out of the ordinary until several emergency vehicles arrived on scene. Responders entered the building with masks on and carried the victims to ambulances, he said, also noting a gaseous odour.
Another employee of the business was present, the witness said, but it is not known if he was in the building at the time of the accident.
This accident was a shocking tragedy in the industrial area and a reminder of the importance of safety in the workplace, he said.
“When someone goes to work in the morning, you expect that you’re going to come home at night so for this tragedy to occur in our business park, it really hit hard in our community,” Young told reporters Friday.
“And Leduc is a tight knit community and I know that people will reach out and help the families and co-workers get through this tragedy. I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now.”
“When something like this happens it sort of sends a shock ... it really strikes home.”
Young confirmed that one of the men was a Leduc resident. The mayor said he didn’t know much about the company prior to the accident.
“I know that they work with liquid nitrogen and quite often they purge vessels with nitrogen gas,” he said.
Alberta Premier Rachel Notley took to Twitter to offer her condolences to the families of the victims.
“My heart breaks for these workers and their families,” the premier tweeted Thursday night.
“While we wait for details about how this tragic accident happened, my thoughts are with all those who are mourning this terrible loss.”
According to its website, the company deals with cleaning oilfield equipment using a cryogenic technology that was developed by owner Russell McKay.
McKay opened his first cryogenic company in 1994 and launched Millennium in 2001.
The cryogenic process uses vessels filled with extremely cold gases, commonly liquid nitrogen, to strengthen the wear resistance and durability of metals.