A Halifax Provincial Court judge has found three companies guilty of failing to have proper rescue equipment on hand — such as a boat or life jackets — at a Nova Scotia Power reservoir, where an engineer drowned in 2020.
Nova Scotia Power, Brunswick Engineering and Consulting Inc. and Gemtec Consulting Engineering and Scientists Ltd. were charged under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in 2022.
Civil engineer Andrew Gnazdowsky, 26, was working for Brunswick Engineering and Consulting Inc. of Saint John, New Brunswick. He died while recovering a piece of equipment underwater near the Marshall Falls reservoir on October 16, 2020. He was helping a colleague conduct a bathymetric survey at the site.
Charges against the companies ranged from failing to provide a project site hazard assessment to neglecting to supply proper life jackets. Other charges ranged from failing to conduct a safety orientation and neglecting to review safety plans, to failing to properly monitor the work of subcontractors.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
The latest environmental engineering news direct to your inbox. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Despite some 16 offences charged among the companies, the court only found them guilty on a handful. Ultimately, the court convicted all three companies of failing to provide rescue equipment. Additionally, Brunswick Engineering was found guilty of failing to ensure that the work over water safe work practices in its health and safety manual were followed. It was also found guilty of failing to ensure proper procedures for operating remote-controlled survey equipment.
Sentencing for the three companies will be set on August 30.
