New training and tributes mark the Montreal race weekend
A year after a fatal accident at the Canadian Grand Prix prompted a workplace safety investigation, organisers said new measures will be in place for the June 6 to 8 race weekend in Montreal.
The Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail said that pit crew members who operate cranes at the event were trained over the past week, following a recommendation made after the 2013 death of volunteer track marshal Mark Robinson. Robinson died on June 9 last year while helping return a car that had failed to finish the race to the pits.
The weekend will also include tributes to Robinson. The Automobile Club de l’Île Notre-Dâme said pit workers will wear black armbands in his memory, while the official Formula 1 event magazine will carry a full-page dedication.
Quebec’s workplace health and safety board launched an investigation after Robinson was killed during track operations at the 2013 Grand Prix. Its report found that the procedure used to move the disabled car created a serious hazard.
According to the investigation, Robinson’s role was to help keep the suspended car stable while it was being transported by crane. A rope had been attached to the rear of the vehicle, with Robinson holding the other end as he moved ahead of the crane. Investigators said he appeared to trip—some reports suggested he may have been trying to retrieve a dropped radio—before being struck, after which the crane’s two right rear wheels ran over him.
He was first taken to the pit hospital, where medical staff attempted to revive him, and was later flown by helicopter to Sacré-Coeur hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The 2013 incident was the first Formula One trackside worker death since the 2001 Australian Grand Prix, adding to scrutiny around recovery procedures at the event.
In its findings, the CSST said race organisers had failed to protect workers adequately and described the method used to move the car as “dangerous.” It held Groupe de course Octane Inc. and Automobile Club de l’Île Notre-Dâme responsible for compromising worker safety. A fine ranging from $15,698 to $62,790 was imposed.
