VANCOUVER — The United Steelworkers union is making a new call for a public inquiry into two fatal British Columbia mill explosions based on a document a coroner's inquest has already considered.
The Steelworkers, WorkSafeBC and the BC Coroners Service all agree the document was entered into evidence at last spring's inquest into the 2012 explosion at Lakeland Mills in Prince George, B.C.
But the union — which withdrew part of the way through the inquest — says it only received a copy of the document recently through a freedom of information request.
Union director Stephen Hunt says the document proves WorkSafeBC was more concerned about pushback from industry CEOs than the health and safety of workers exposed to wood dust at B.C. mills and he wants an inquiry.
WorkSafeBC and the coroners service say they don't understand why the union is making an issue of the document now when it was available at the coroner's inquest.
Separate coroners inquests into the 2012 explosions at the Babine Forest Products sawmill in Burns Lake and the Lakeland Mills each made 33 recommendations.
