Tragedy struck ATCO Battle River power plant north of Halkirk last Thursday when a contract worker was killed on the job.
“The young man did not work for ATCO, but was doing contract work for them at the time,” said Coronation RCMP Sgt. Colm Fitz-Gerald.
Police and Alberta Occupational Health and Safety continue to investigate the death.
The name of the deceased was still being withheld as of Tuesday, pending notification of the victim’s next of kin.
The man was identified as a 23-year-old employee of AGAT Labs, an international company with a base in Calgary, said Lisa Glover, public relations officer for Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.
“A worker was performing stack testing when he fell down onto an elevator,” Glover said.
“We’re not sure how far he fell. That will all be a part of the investigation.”
Glover said an investigation could take up to two years to complete, as officials thoroughly review the incident.
“The work he was doing is simply an environmental air-quality monitoring process to sample a gas stream,” Glover said.
An official with AGAT declined immediate public comment out of respect for the family of the victim. The spokesman, however, said AGAT plans to release a public statement in the coming weeks.
The Battle River tragedy was the fifth workplace fatality in as many days in Alberta, reported the provincial Occupational Health and Safety division.