Vale Canada Ltd. has pleaded guilty in a Sudbury courthouse to four of the nine counts it faced following the April 6, 2014 accident at the Copper Cliff smelter that claimed the life of one man and injured another.
Paul Rochette, 36, was killed when he was struck in the head by a pin that broke off a crusher and was released under pressure. Another mechanic, 28-year-old Justin Stewart, received a concussion and facial lacerations in the same incident.
The court is still hearing victim impact statements at this time, but a short time ago, Vale pleaded guilty to four of the nine counts it faced. While one of three supervisors charged in the wake of the incident, also pleaded guilty to one of the three counts he faced.
Among the guilty pleas it entered, Vale admitted that it failed to ensure workers knew how to properly remove a broken piece from a ferrochrome crusher. It was that broken piece that flew out of the machine, killing Rochette and injuring Stewart.
Sudbury.com reporter Jonathan Migneault is in the court for the verdict and will have more later on this afternoon.
- Sudbury.com
