Labour Dept. conducts workplace incident investigation

BY BRENT FOX

Transcontinental Media

NovaNewsNow.com

The provincial Labour Department is investigating a possible workplace accident that may have caused the death of a worker at the Sepracor Canada Limited pharmaceutical facility in Windsor.

However, it could be months before any conclusions are forthcoming.

Department spokesperson Jacqueline May said Friday, Oct. 10, “it’s still too soon to say what exactly happened here.”

What is known is that a man came to the Hants Community Hospital Tuesday saying he had inhaled de-malic acid at the laboratory. He showed symptoms and passed away the following day.

The medical examiner is in the process of ascertaining what caused the death. “They seem to be related,” May said. “It did happen. We’re treating it as a workplace accident.”

Three others could have been exposed to the same chemical, May said, but they have to be cleared by the medical examiner.

Asked when the investigation would conclude and answers known, May said, “it’s generally a matter of months.”