Coroner’s inquest makes recommendations in relation to workplace fatalities

Release

Department of Justice and Public Safety

April 16, 2026

CAMPBELLTON (GNB) – A jury at a coroner’s inquest has made recommendations aimed at improving safety practices and preventing similar incidents.

An inquest into the deaths of Jean-Eudes Doiron and Marcel Gagnon was held this week at the Campbellton courthouse. Doiron was a worker with the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure who died on Oct. 10, 2024, as a result of a workplace accident at the department’s work site in the Rang-St-Georges district of Hautes-Terres. Gagnon, who was working for a company under contract with the department, died on July 23, 2024, at the Edmundston Regional Hospital following an incident at a quarry in the Saint-Joseph de Madawaska area of the Northwest Rural District.

Coroners and juries can classify a death as a homicide, suicide, accident, natural causes or manner undetermined. The inquest found Doiron’s death was the result of multiple blunt injuries and that it was accidental. Gagnon’s death was the result of trauma after being crushed, and was also accidental.

The five-member jury heard from 16 witnesses and made recommendations to the following organizations:

To both the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure and Conrad Lavoie et Fils:

·         Post a spotter when a truck with blind spots must back up.

·         Never cross behind a truck; always cross in front of the truck.

·         Install backup cameras on trucks with blind spots.

·         Communicate clearly at morning safety briefings to identify tasks and pinpoint any ecological or environmental hazards and safety risks. Include subcontractors in these meetings. If a subcontractor is not available, meet with them separately so that on-site communications are clear.

·         Make personal protective equipment mandatory and monitor its use.

To the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure:

·         Assign clear tasks and then do not make any changes during the day.

·         Educate new employees during orientation after hiring; for example, by demonstrating hazards, reviewing safety policies with them and including photos to make the presentations more visual.

·         Increase the percentage of time that project supervisors spend on site; delegate non-contractual tasks so that project supervisors are more present for their crew.

·         Equip each worker who may be required to take a position behind a heavy truck or other heavy equipment with a radio so they can communicate with truck drivers at all times.

To WorkSafeNB:

·         Raise awareness of the need to limit cellphone use on work sites.

The chief coroner will forward these recommendations to the appropriate agencies for consideration and response. The response will be included in the chief coroner’s annual report for 2026.

An inquest is a formal court proceeding that allows for the public presentation of all evidence relating to a death. It does not make any finding of legal responsibility, nor does it assign blame. However, recommendations can be made, aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances in the future.

16-04-26

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