A coroner’s inquest into the death of a Fredericton construction worker has resulted in several recommendations aimed at improving workplace safety in the industry.
The inquest examined the death of Preston Allen, who died on Dec. 6, 2021, from blunt force trauma to the head after falling at a construction site. The two-day inquest, held at the University of New Brunswick Law School, concluded on Tuesday with a jury determining Allen’s death was accidental.
The five-member jury heard from six witnesses before recommending that WorkSafeNB take several steps to enhance safety oversight on construction sites. The recommendations include:
- Proactively educate both new and existing companies/employers by offering resources and consulting services before accidents occur.
- Ensure there is an adequate number of inspectors dedicated to the construction sector.
- Gain access to available building permit data or its equivalent.
- Use available building permit data to identify appropriate work sites for inspection.
- Conduct a minimum number of random or unannounced site inspections each month.
- Establish a partnership with provincial and/or regional construction safety associations to provide online education to employers and employees on the basics of erecting and using scaffolding.
The chief coroner will forward the recommendations to the appropriate agencies, with responses to be included in the 2025 annual report.
While inquests do not assign blame or legal responsibility, they serve to publicly examine the circumstances of a death and suggest measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
