46-year-old worker was ‘fatally crushed’ while unloading wind turbines
A New Brunswick coroner’s jury has issued a series of recommendations aimed at tightening supervision, equipment use and worker training on wind turbine construction sites following the 2024 workplace death of Matthew Jeremy Brawn.
The inquest into Brawn’s death was held this week at the Saint John courthouse. Brawn died on July 18, 2024 after a workplace accident during the erection of wind turbines in the Springdale area of the Kings Rural District, according to a statement from the provincial government.
Brawn, a pilot truck driver for Richards Transport Ltd. in Regina, was unloading a wind turbine tower at the site when he was “fatally crushed,” according to a WorkSafeNB investigative report obtained by CBC News. He was run over while trying to stop a runaway trailer, known as a dolly, after it became detached from an off-road forklift at the site. The six-axle dolly had a gross weight of more than 27,000 kilograms.
Following the incident, Windturbine Construction Team Inc., the company responsible for installing the turbines, was charged with two counts under New Brunswick’s Occupational Health and Safety Act after an investigation by WorkSafeNB. The company was charged with failing to ensure an industrial lift truck was not loaded beyond its capacity and with failing to ensure an industrial lift truck was used only for the purpose for which it was designed.
Under New Brunswick’s coronial system, coroners and inquest juries can classify a death as a homicide, suicide, accident, natural causes or manner undetermined. In this case, the jury concluded Brawn’s death was an accident.
Recommendations to Windturbine Construction Team
The six-member jury heard from six witnesses before issuing recommendations.
The jury called for more robust site-level oversight, recommending the company:
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Establish a clear and active on-site supervisor overseeing work.
The jury also urged the company to formalise and strengthen daily safety planning and communication through morning safety meetings that:
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Establish the scope of work and responsibilities of all workers.
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Review the equipment being used and its intended purpose.
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Identify the site supervisor and clarify the chain of command.
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Remind workers of their right to refuse unsafe work.
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Reinforce the consequences of not following established procedures.
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Emphasize the importance of active communication on the site to verify and confirm the safe use of equipment.
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Ensure that only competent employees operate equipment and that they are comfortable and properly trained to do so.
Joint recommendations to employer and union
In recommendation to both the Windturbine Construction Team and the Iron Workers Union, the jury highlighted equipment limitations and misuse risks, calling on them to “remind and reiterate during training that the telehandler and other equipment must be used only as intended and within their rated capacities.”
According to the province, the chief coroner will forward the jury’s recommendations “to the appropriate agencies for consideration and response.” The responses are expected to be published in the chief coroner’s annual report for 2026.
