By Lara Fominoff @LaraFominoff on Twitter

UPDATE: Occupational Health & Safety closes file on workplace fatality at new Cavendish site

Jan 16, 2019 | 4:54 PM

LETHBRIDGE – UPDATE 3:00 p.m.  –  Alberta Labour Spokesperson Trent Bancarz says 57-year-old John Zalik, a ready-mix truck driver from the Lafarge plant in Lethbridge passed away due to a medical event, which had nothing to do with the workplace.

“We’ve determined that the fatality was related to a medical event, and it’s not a workplace related reason.”

Bancarz says OH& S has now closed its investigation. 

***Up-Date***

 The person who died in relation to an incident at the Cavendish potato processing facility yesterday, has been idenifited by his employer.

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In a news release, Lafarge Lethbridge General Manager Mike Schmidtler shared that John Zalik, a ready-mix truck driver in from the Lethbridge plant passed away yesterday.  His co-workers miss him already and send heartfelt condolences to all his friends and family.

 Lafarge is cooperating with authorities on the investigation.

Background:

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety and Lethbridge Police confirm a worker has died, after an accident occured at the new Cavendish potato processing site in the Sherring Industrial Park.
 
The new plant is still under construction and expected to be completed later this year.
 
Trent Bancarz, with Alberta Labour, says investigators will be at the site for the next day or so.
 
“We don’t have a whole lot of details about what exactly happened….we know the incident occured about 8 o’clock this morning, and that a worker was injured and was taken to the hospital and later was pronounced dead at the hospital.”
 
According to one report to LNN, someone may have fallen off a roof, although that information has not been confirmed.
 
Officers will be speaking with witnesses, and at this point no work orders have been issued. 

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