The Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP) has laid charges against Bois Ouvré de Beauceville and Séchoirs de Beauce following a work accident that left three workers dead and five others injured.
The accusations include three counts of criminal negligence causing death and five counts of criminal negligence causing bodily harm to the workers.
The tragedy dates back to September 20, 2021, when a fire broke out at the Bois Ouvré plant in Beauceville, Que.
In response to the charges, the employer stated: "We take note of the charges filed today against our company in the wake of the tragedy in September 2021. We will review the full case in the coming days, however, out of concern for the victims and their loved ones, we will not comment while the legal process takes its course."
The Steelworkers union (USW) representing the company's workers welcomed the charges.
In an interview, USW union representative Francois Cardinal deplored the fact that occupational health and safety prevention is too often "ignored" or even "trivialized."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 24, 2023.
