Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) is investigating a workplace accident that injured one man at Zytech Building Systems Inc. located in Balzac on Sept. 26 at 7:41 a.m., according to RCMP.
Stuart Brideaux, spokesperson for EMS, said the 46-year-old man from Calgary, an employee of Zytech whose name is not being released, became partially pinned under a forklift and suffered extensive, serious damage to his lower right leg.
“A male operator of a forklift sustained injury when his forklift overturned somehow,” Brideaux said.
“He was partially trapped within the cab of the forklift on the ground. It had tipped in a way that partially entrapped him. We did require fire department assistance to free him from the cab of his forklift.”
Crews from the Rocky View Fire Department assisted at the scene, according to Airdrie RCMP.
STARS Air Ambulance transported the man to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, according to Spokesman David Fairbanks.
“He was in stable but potentially limb-threatening condition, would be the best way to describe it,” Brideaux said.
“(There were) no other reports of anyone else being injured at the scene.”
Constable Matt Gervais with Airdrie Rural RCMP said the investigation has been turned over to OHS.
Lauren Welsh, spokesperson for OHS, said investigators were at the scene on Sept. 26 and a stop work order had been issued. Welsh did not know when the stop work order would be lifted.
“It will be lifted when the investigators are satisfied that everything is now operating safely and up to the OHS code standards,” Welsh said.
An OHS investigation can take up to two years to complete, according to Welsh.
RCMP said no charges will be laid against the injured man.
Gervais said traffic on Highway 566 in the Balzac area was disrupted for a short period of time to allow STARS to land.
If you have any information on any crime, call the Airdrie RCMP detachment at 403-942-7200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
