Hydro One employee suffers 'serious injuries' while replacing pole
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Hydro One workplace injury Thunder Bay highlights an Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation after a live power line contact, with burn unit treatment, safety compliance reviews, training records requests, and inspector oversight at utility site.
Key Points
A Hydro One incident in Thunder Bay under Ontario labour investigation, after live line contact and burn unit care.
✅ Ministry of Labour probing live line contact incident
✅ Training records and safety manuals requested from Hydro One
✅ Inspector on site; employer report pending compliance
Ontario's Ministry of Labour has confirmed a Hydro One employee was taken to hospital after being injured on a job site in Thunder Bay, Ont.
The employee was hospitalized after the incident on Oct. 23 during work to replace a hydro pole in the northwestern Ontario city, a ministry spokesperson told CBC News.
"Our investigation will continue," Janet Deline said. "[Further steps] could be anything from examining the incident site, any equipment involved; our inspectors may interview witnesses, so co-workers, supervisors."
Deline added that she's not aware of the worker's current condition
A Hydro One spokesperson confirmed in an email that one of the company's employees suffered a "serious workplace injury," after he contacted a live power line, reflecting the risks of on-the-job electrical injuries in the sector, adding that he has been receiving specialized treatment in a burn unit.
The company would not answer other questions, such as where or when the incident happened, nor provide other details about the nature of the work, but said officials are in contact with the family, while BC Hydro Site C COVID-19 updates illustrate a different approach to public reporting by utilities. The ministry said it can't release any personal information, like a name or where the employee is from, citing privacy legislation.
Training records, policy manuals collected in investigation
The labour ministry and Hydro One both confirmed the incident remains under investigation. The ministry said it has requested training records, qualification certificates and policy and procedure manuals from Hydro One, aligning with federal efforts to support the future of work in the electricity sector nationwide.
An inspector arrived in Thunder Bay on Oct. 26, Deline said, and external investigators at Manitoba Hydro have been engaged in other cases.
As of Tuesday afternoon, "17 of those requirements have been complied with," Deline said, noting that enforcement outcomes in serious cases can include penalties, as in a company fined after fatal electrocution reported previously, and adding that the ministry was still waiting on a submission from the utility about its own investigation into the incident.
"Employers are required to ... provide a written information to us on what happened, sort of their version, if you will," she said.
Deline said it's too soon to tell how long the investigation will take to complete.
