Vale's $1M fine 'horrible, gutless decision' says smelter worker's family

The family of a smelter worker killed in 2014 said the Ontario Ministry of Labour made a "horrible, gutless decision" when it fined Vale $1 million for the 2014 death of Paul Rochette.

"[The Ministry] had an opportunity to make sweeping changes to the safety culture at all mines throughout Canada today and they failed miserably," the Rochette family said in a statement.

In 2014, 36-year-old Rochette died of severe head trauma while working at Copper Cliff Smelter.

A 28-year-old co-worker was also injured.

According to an Ontario Court report, arock crusher, used in the first stages of the refining process, became jammed with a broken-off steel moil point (a pointed tool) inside the crusher.After the two workers attempted to free the moll point, the fragment propelled vertically toward the two workers, killing Rochette and injuring his co-worker.

"Financial accountability is not enough of a deterrent to fix the 'production first, safety second'mindset that is poisoning the majority of current Vale Staff members," the family stated.

"Until staff members are held accountable for their actions in front of a judge and jury, nothing will change the way they go about their daily business."

The company pled guilty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and was fined in a Sudbury courtroom yesterday.

Vale worker Greg Taylor also pled guilty and was fined $3,000.

In a statement released by Vale, Stuart Harshaw, Vale's vice-president of Ontario operations, expressed sadness for the Rochette family's loss, and also stressed the company is taking steps to ensure future safety.

"Since this incident, as a result of our joint investigation with the United Steelworkers Local 6500, we have taken responsibility and concrete action to prevent a similar incident from ever occurring," Harshaw said.

"In total, 58 recommendations have been addressed in the crushing area ofthe smelter and more broadly across our operations. We can say with confidence that our operations are safer now as a result."

This isn't the first time Vale has been issued a large fine following occupational health and safety charges.

In 2013, the company was fined $1 million in connection with a double fatality two years earlier.

Jason Chenier and Jordan Fram were killed while working underground at Stobie Mine in 2011.