lji

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

inspection, the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST) has confirmed that the contractor responsible for demolishing the former Ministère des Transports (MTQ) service centre in downtown Gaspé has implemented the requested safety corrections. 

On October 18, the CNESST issued a correction notice requiring the project manager to modify the demolition procedures to address all risks associated with the site’s structures and hazardous materials. The building, constructed in the 1950s, contains lead and asbestos. 

Some industry observers close to the construction trades had reported that the fences that are supposed to contain dust during demolition are not high enough. Another site visit was made on October 23. 

“The CNESST carried out another intervention to ensure that the project manager had made the requested corrections. This allowed us to see that the work procedure is safe and protects workers from these contaminants. A sign was also put in place to indicate the presence of the contaminant. Two correction notices were also issued to the project manager regarding the specific demolition procedures,” the government agency mentioned by email. 

One modified practice now observable since the CNESST visit is that workers from Démolition des rivières de Lévis are systematically wetting demolition elements to prevent dust from dispersing. 

The CNESST mentioned that it is monitoring the situation closely and other follow-ups are planned. For its part, the Société québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), which is responsible for the site, indicates that it is putting “everything in place to ensure safety in the projects under its responsibility.” 

“Work in asbestos conditions is standardized and the contractor is required to comply with the measures provided for this purpose. A specialized firm is hired by the SQI for this purpose. It supervises the demolition work and is responsible for ensuring that the decontamination enclosure and the mitigation methods used by the contractor, for dust control, comply with the standards,” maintains the organization, which adds that if corrective measures are recommended by the CNESST, the SQI will ensure that they are carried out as soon as possible. 

For its part, the Ministry of the Environment has not received any complaints regarding the demolition of this building. The ministry noted that this activity is not subject to ministerial authorization or adherence to the Clean Air Regulations. 

The contract, valued at $876,000, was awarded to Démolition des rivières through a public tender process.