Tunneling supervisor charged in fatal industrial accident

Peel police have charged a supervisor at an infrastructure tunneling company after the death of one of its workers in a workplace accident nearly two years ago.

In a news release, police say one man was arrested late last month and faces one count of criminal negligence causing death.

It stems from an incident on Dec. 2, 2022, where the victim was found with fatal injuries while servicing a damaged pipeline. Police at the time said several workers were at the site when a pipe ruptured and filled a chamber with water.

Police say the victim, 54-year-old Joaquim Silva, was employed by Technicore Underground Inc., which bills itself online as one of the "leading metro tunnel contractors in Ontario" and says that it specializes in "safe and efficient" tunnel construction projects.

Earlier this week, Technicore was served a criminal summons and faces the same charge that the supervisor faces.

Police say the supervisor will attend the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date. The employer is required to attend court next month.