Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety Division has cited the Nova Scotia Firefighting School with two charges in connection with the death of a firefighter last year.
Truro firefighter Skyler Blackie died on March 20, 2019, eleven days after he was injured in an explosion at the Nova Scotia Firefighting School. A fire extinguisher exploded fatally injuring Blackie, who was 28 at the time.
The OHSA charges accuse the fire school of failing to “take every precaution that is reasonable in the circumstances to ensure… the health and safety of persons at or near a workplace”; and failing to ensure equipment was recertified according to manufacturers’ specifications.
In addition to the two OHSA charges, the Labour Department issued two compliance orders to the fire school requiring the removal and inspection of all extinguishers similar to the one that exploded.
Here is a copy of Nova Scotia’s OHS Act.