Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge-tunnel construction site: “Some call it the tunnel from hell”

In December alone, the CNESST issued 18 exceptions in a report submitted to the RLF consortium, made up of Pomerleau, Eurovia QC and Dodin QC, mainly affecting the ventilation of the site. (Photo: Quebec Ministry of Transport)

CNESST is concerned for the safety of workers and the public in the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel. Renouveau-La Fontaine (RLF), the project manager of the work repair site, said several times over the past few months. Contracts.

In December alone, the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) granted 18 exemptions, in a report submitted to the RLF Federation, Pomerleau, Eurovia QC and Dodin QC, mainly affecting ventilation. of the site, as well as the “quality” and “quantity” of air, especially in the southern duct where most of the work is currently concentrated. The Commission noted that some of these deficiencies observed in October have not yet been improved.

“The entire situation demonstrates that the project manager did not use methods and techniques aimed at identifying, controlling and eliminating risks of construction site ventilation that could affect worker health and safety,” CNESST wrote a week ago. Before Christmas.

“Despite many visits and conversations,” the commission inspectors continue, “the project manager has not mobilized to resolve the situation quickly. Health and safety management is deficient, which affects the safety of workers and the public,” they repeat, this time in a document prepared in early February.

In December, inspectors found that in the northern pipeline, the two-way traffic of vehicles affected the direction of air circulation and created fog, “which was not present before the start of the construction site”. The project manager then “reiterated that he did not have a ventilation plan for the pipeline allocated for traffic”. At that time, he told CNESST, the tunnel's original ventilation towers were closed.

In February, the federation said the opposite this time, confirming that these same towers had never been closed and that “no changes have been made to the existing ventilation system”. The RLF representative wrote to CNESST that “the existing ventilation system was adequate and effective”.

After the visit of this commission, several sources have confirmed Contracts Renouveau La Fontaine's director of health and safety and at least one person designated for the health and safety of workers and the public at the facility have left their positions.

Requests have been made to the Quebec Ministry of Transport for several days to learn the exact circumstances of these departures and to obtain explanations about the CNESST's decisions on the health of workers and the public. As of the time of writing these lines.

Higher rate of return

Recall that last August, the mega construction site was disrupted for almost two weeks due to mold on the central service corridor located between the two pipelines. The case was referred to the CNESST after the workers refused to continue their activities there. At the request of the CNESST, the Montreal Regional Public Health Department has been involved in the matter since this episode.

In December, the CNESST pointed out in its reports that despite exemptions granted in October and November, “no ventilation plan has yet been established for the central corridor”. He also notes that “envelopes with screen doors are still installed at different points in the corridor” and “the onset of wind is not felt within these areas.” A plan was finally submitted in February.

“Many of our workers are asking not to go to this construction site. And when an opportunity arises, they move to another site. Some call it the tunnel from hell,” says Yvan Pigot, responsible for prevention and occupational safety at the Quebec Provincial Council for the Construction Trades (International).

“Yes, there has been a certain change, but it happens through repetition, complaints and persistence,” he continues, adding that by the end of the summer, the turnover of workers on the construction site was about 30%.

A turnover rate is also seen in FTQ construction, which condemns working conditions on site. “From the moment the workers reported that there were problems with ventilation, some had pain, no tolerance or headaches, it took time for us to improve the situation. For me, this is not normal. It is a bad organization of work and bad planning of work,” says Simon Levesque, the union's health and safety manager.

“If the organization of work is not right, productivity will never be good and workers will always be at risk,” he continues.

“We can congratulate the health and safety representatives (RSS) on site and we can congratulate the union actors who highlighted the risks that RLF is responsible for,” said Félix Ferland, manager of health and safety at CSN Construction. The latter confirms that a “clear improvement” has recently been noted.

“Blank Papers”

For both the South and North Pipelines and the Central Service Corridor, CNESST asked the RLF last fall to “maintain a registry to compile results on air quality, air quantity, and air quality.”

When they returned to the site this winter, they found that the record had been prepared as requested by commission inspectors. However, they remind the site's project manager that the registry “must be completed” and that “the submission does not contain any data, it is a blank document.”

In February, CNESST noted the lack of a control plan for the “flow of equipment carried out on the South Pipeline”. This, the commission says, “can lead to increased concentrations of carbon monoxide in the air and pose a risk of poisoning.”

“What we want is the end. We don't care what happens to the workers,” laments Ivan Pigot. “The main challenge now is to implement procedures and programs.” [le consortium] have implemented. When we move to the other tube, we'll see if they learn what happened in the south tube.

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