Inquest into teen's Mill death

The coroner’s inquest into the tragic workplace death of a Lumby teenager began Monday in Vernon.

Photo: Contributed

A coroner's inquest into the death of Bradley Haslam began Monday in Vernon

The inquest surrounds the death of 18-year-old Bradley Michael Thomas Haslam, who died June 15, 2013 after getting caught in a conveyer belt at Tolko’s mill in Lavington.

Haslam had recently graduated high school and was working the graveyard cleanup shift early Saturday morning when the accident occurred.

According to reports the incident happened right around 1:30 a.m. on June 15. Haslam apparently got caught between a conveyor belt and roller on the third chipping machine. He was eventually freed and rushed to hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Haslam was working alone during his clean-up shift near the number three chipper when the accident occurred. His supervisor, Roger Marshall (who will speak to the jury Tuesday), allegedly noticed the belt had stopped moving on the conveyor and went to see what had happened, finding Haslam.

A sense of chaos ensued as staff at the mill worked to free him from the belt and start first aid.

The jury heard from employees Clayton Phillips and Kirby Hayhurst. Both men worked in a different part of the mill and had been asked to work overtime that morning as a “species switch’ needed to happen before Monday. Neither man knew Haslam before that night.

Phillips recalls the emergency alarm going off and the call for help over the radio.

He is a Level 3 First-Aid attendant and rushed to the scene. When he got there things were grim. He says Haslam was caught between the belt and the roller; he was unconscious and turning blue.

Phillips, working with Hayhurst and Marshall worked to cut the belt and free Haslam. He says the first saw the men grabbed for to cut the belt was missing a blade, leaving them rushing to find an alternative chainsaw to cut the belt.

Hayhurst says he was able to cut the belt quickly with the chainsaw around the corner, freeing Haslam and dropping him to the ground.

Phillips says he immediately pulled him free and checked for vitals. There was no pulse, he checked twice, as did Marshall.

Both men (Marshall and Phillips), who are first-aid trained, began chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth.

Phillips says after a few minutes he noticed there was no progression, no sign of vitals and he ran to get the Automated External Defibrillator.

With the attached AED and CPR work continuing, the men say they worked tirelessly until paramedics arrived 20 to 25 minutes later. Phillips says the AED machine never told them to shock.

“I yelled ‘Come on, Bradley’, ‘Breathe Bradley,’ but he was turning a purple-y blue,” says Phillips.

And no point, according to Phillips, did Haslam show a pulse, breaths or any signs of progression.

Paramedics rushed him to hospital where the time of death was determined nearly one hour after the incident. But, according to Hayhurst, Phillips, the paramedics (Alana Hicik and Lisa Olszewski) and the attending E.R. doctor Dr. Burgess, Haslam died back at the mill.  

Hayhurst and Phillips say more could have been done to prevent this accident.

Phillips says vehemently that teens, of Haslam’s age, with little Mill experience should be working in groups, not working alone, like Haslam was that night.

A sentiment shared by Hayhurst who adds that extra precautions have been taken since the incident including a buddy-system.

A huge area of concern for the inquest will regard the ‘lock-out’ or securing and turn-off of the machines, before cleaning staff comes in. A step, according to several at the inquest, that could have allegedly saved Haslam’s life.

According to Inquest Counsel John Orr, the conveyor belt was running before he got caught, so it begs the question as to whether it should have been turned off, locked off or off limits to employees entirely.

Monday, the jury heard from nine witnesses, starting with Bradley Haslam’s mother Denise Wilson who offered tears, kind words about her son and a plea for better safety measures to prevent something like this from happening to another child.

She brought in two large framed photographs of her son, which will remain in the courtroom for the entire proceedings.

The four-day inquest is being presented in front of seven jurors, who will hear from 21 witnesses with the goal of presenting recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.

As well the jury in a coroner’s inquest is expected to ascertain publicly the facts relating to the death including; the identity of the deceased, as well as how, when, where and by what means he or she died. In addition, the inquest intends to satisfy the community that the circumstances surround the death of one of its members will not be overlooked, concealed or ignored.

Presiding Coroner T.E. Chico Newell over sees the inquest, and lawyers include Inquest Counsel Orr, as well as two representatives each from WorkSafe BC, Tolko Industries and the United Steelworkers.

The inquest is expected to last until Thursday. Tuesday the jury and preceding participants will take a tour of the Mill itself to better set the scene for jurors.

The inquest is open to the public and is being held in the large Supreme Courtroom #301 at the Vernon Law Courts.