A spokesman for Rich Products says the company is heartbroken over a deadly accident at their Fort Erie operations Monday.Dwight Gram, Vice President of Corporate Communications for Rich Products, says a male contractor was overcome by an ammonia leak in the facility's engine room around noon. The plant was evacuated and the leak was stopped. It was too soon to determine the cause of the leak when he spoke to WBFO News late Monday.
"We're working closely with the Fort Erie Fire Department and the Ministry of Labor to follow their established safety protocols to determine next steps," said Gram.
"Worker safety is the number one priority at every facility we have around the world. We are heartbroken that this accident has occurred."
Production at the Fort Erie plant on Hagey Avenue is shut down until an investigation into the leak is completed. All other associates and visitors to the plant are safe.
Here is the company's complete statement:
We’ve suffered a terrible tragedy.
At approximately noon today, there was an ammonia leak in the engine room of our Ft. Erie, Ontario, Canada manufacturing facility. The plant was evacuated, the ammonia system was shut down completely and the leak was stopped.
We are extremely saddened to learn that a contractor, who was working in the immediate area near the leak, died as a result of the injuries he sustained.
All other associates and visitors are safe.
We’re working closely with the Ft. Erie fire department and Ministry of Labor to follow established safety protocols and determine next steps. All production at the facility has been suspended until a complete investigation is conducted by the Ministry of Labor.
Right now our full focus is on supporting the fire department and the Ministry of Labor as they begin their investigation, and on all of the people that have been affected by this event, especially the family of the man who has lost his life.
Worker safety is the number one priority at every facility we have around the world and we’re heartbroken that this accident has occurred.