Contractor didn't follow its own safety rules in fatal trench accident: Suncor

Events that led to the death of a30-year-old oilsands worker at a Suncor operation north of Fort McMurray could have been prevented if personnel of the contracted mining company had followed its ownsafety rules, Suncor says.

"While this is difficult to write, I believe it is absolutely essential that we share this information openly to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again,"BrunoFrancoeur, Suncor regional operations executive, said in a memo to employeeswhich has been obtained byCBCNews.

"In this instance, Aecon personnel did not follow Aecon's safe work procedures and the relevant requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Code for construction work associated with excavations."

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Francoeursaid AeconMining workers were excavating a dyke at Suncor's Millennium mine on Oct.20, 2017. SagarPatel, a surveyor for Aecon, had entered the 4.5-metre deep trench when one of the walls collapsed, burying Patel alive.

Emergency services,along with operations supervisors from Aecon and Suncor,were called to the scene. Heavyequipment and hand tools were used in the effortto extricate Patel.

"First responders performed CPR but, sadly, were unsuccessful in reviving him,"Francoeursaid in the memo.

Adhering 'to their own procedures, standards'

The memo does not specificallystate which safetystandards were not followed.

Suncordeclined comment. So did AlbertaOccupational Health and Safety, which is continuing to investigate the incident.

Aecon spokespersonNicole Court said safety is the company's first priority, adding that Aeconis co-operating with theOccupational Health and Safety investigation.

Court could not say whetherAeconagrees with Suncor's findings.

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Suncorsaid in the memothat it's sharing the preliminary findings because it wants to prevent the tragedy from happening again. "Our hope ... is that we will learn from the past and make our workplace safer," Francoeur said.

The Suncor memo included five recommendations to improve safety, including:

• Working withAeconto make sure it adheres "to their own procedures, standards and OHS requirements."
• Improving identification of risk hazards in the mine.
• Conductingsurveys known as "as-built surveys" both before and during excavations.
• Providinga clear outline of responsibilities for engineering and operations personnel.

Patel's family, which is in India, declined to comment.

In October, close family friendKinnarPatel said the family wanted others to know "this unwanted, unfortunate tragedy [that] happened in FortMcMurrayhas taken away one of the most beautiful souls from this planet."

Follow David Thurton, CBC'sFort McMurraycorrespondent, onFacebook,Twitterand email him atdavid.thurton@cbc.ca