An investigation is underway after a 26-year-old contractor died early Thursday after being hit by teams at the Suncor base mine near Fort McMurray, Alta.
A Komatsu employee was pronounced dead early Thursday morning on a shovel maintenance platform at the mine, Suncor said in a statement sent to the media Thursday evening. The RCMP said the incident happened around 3am
“This is a tragic incident,” Suncor spokeswoman Leithan Slade said in an interview Thursday.
“We understand our deepest condolences to this person’s family and friends and co-workers, and will begin a full investigation to find out what happened.”
Occupational health and safety is investigating the man’s death, an Alberta Labor and Immigration spokesman said.
Thursday’s death was the fifth fatality at a job at a Suncor site in Alberta since 2021.
Slade said the company is focusing on employee safety and well-being.
In its statement, Suncor also announced that it would postpone its presentation of bituminous sands operations scheduled for July 13th.
“By postponing the presentation, senior leaders who were scheduled to participate can fully focus on responding to the incident and taking care of our workforce,” the statement said.
“We remain committed to improving our security and operational performance.”
The presentation will be rescheduled for the fall, he said, adding that more information will be shared when it becomes available.
The name of the deceased employee will not be disclosed without the consent of the family, the company said.