Energy Worker, 47, Killed On Fox Creek Jobsite

Source: Calgary Hearld

A 47-year-old man was killed in a workplace accident near Fox Creek on Sunday.

The man, an employee of contractor Secure Energy Services, was working at a Shell Canada drilling site about 260 kilometres northwest of Edmonton when the accident occurred. Occupational Health and Safety spokesperson Lauren Welsh said the man was struck by a hose at about 5:45 p.m.

“The work site was situated by the side of a river and the workers were pumping water to a different location for well-site activities,” Welsh said. “The pumps started revving, and when workers went to investigate, one of the hoses let go and struck a worker.”

The man, who has not been identified, was treated by paramedics at the scene and then transferred to hospital in Fox Creek, where he died.

The worksite was immediately shut down and OHS officers are investigating. Counselling support is being provided to employees through both Secure Energy and Shell Canada’s Employee Assistance programs.

In a statement, Secure Energy Services President and CEO Rene Amirault said he was shocked by the tragedy.  

“Our thoughts are with the family, friends and co-workers of the deceased as we work through this difficult time,” Amirault said, adding it was the first fatal worksite accident involving a Secure Energy Services employee in the company’s history.

Secure Energy Services, a publicly traded energy services company with 1,000 employees in Canada and the U.S., has its corporate head office in Calgary. The company offers fluids and solids solutions to the oil and gas industry.  

Shell Canada said in a statement it is conducting its own investigation into the cause of the accident, in addition to cooperating with the OHS investigation and RCMP.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of an industry colleague, and our thoughts are with the family,” said Murray Elliott, Shell general manager, Greater Deep Basin.

“The safety of our staff, contractors and neighbours is our top priority in everything we do. We are working closely with the parties involved to gather more information and learn from this incident.”

This is the 16th death as a result of a workplace incident in Alberta in 2016, according to OHS.