Her husband died after a workplace explosion. She questions why more employers don’t face criminal charges. Two Years After Tragic Explosion, Widow Calls for Action on Workplace Safety Laws.
In September 2022, Shawn Peddle was critically injured in an explosion at the Braya refinery in Come By Chance, N.L. He fought for 43 days in intensive care before succumbing to his injuries. His wife, Nora Gill-Peddle, now advocates for accountability and improved workplace safety.
Provincial workplace safety charges have been laid in connection with the explosion, but no criminal charges have been brought under the Westray Law. This legislation, introduced after a 1992 mine disaster in Nova Scotia, was meant to hold corporations and executives accountable for workplace deaths caused by negligence. Despite its promise, union leaders and experts say the law is underused. Jessica McCormick, president of the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, noted, “Employers need to face justice when they fail workers and their families.”
The United Steelworkers union has tracked just 26 cases invoking the Westray Law in 20 years, with only 11 resulting in convictions. Critics, like criminologist Steve Bittle, argue the law is ineffective, calling it “woefully inadequate” and urging the federal government to revisit its implementation. Law enforcement officials, however, cite the high evidentiary threshold for criminal negligence as a barrier to more frequent use.
For Nora, the struggle is deeply personal. The milestones she and Shawn once shared are now marked by loss. She believes the current approach to workplace deaths reflects a dangerous complacency, saying, “Companies treat it as a cost of doing business.” Her message to policymakers is clear: “Revisit the legislation, consult the experts, and make it work. Lives depend on it.”
Original author: Rob Santle
Original source/ full article available here: https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/he-just-never-came-home
