Joshua Farrell inquest

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29 year old welder Joshua Farrell was electrocuted while working at a site at a Hamilton lime quarry in 2014.

On Monday an inquest started to look into the details of his death, to see if anything could be done to prevent similar accidents.

Farrell had been working for Rassaun Steel for about 2 years, and hadn’t been welding for long. For about a month, he had been complaining to his wife about the job hazards.

June 25, 2014 was a hot day. Farrell was doing work for his company at the Carmeuse Lime Quarry in Dundas. Philip Wiersma testified that employees planned to take a lot of breaks. It’s a dirty, hot job, he said.

They were welding a coal bin to reinforce it, and Farrell’s location was up a few staircases and awkwardly placed behind duct work. He had been having trouble, but wanted to keep trying.

Then Wiersma noticed farrell was standing oddly. He went up and shook his shoulder, and knew something was wrong.

Arc Welding uses a cable with what’s called a whipper-stinger on the end, where a welder attaches an electrode – a stick of metal that melts down to bond other piece of metal.

Farrell was found with the electrode stuck about four centimeters into his neck. He died from the electrical current.

The Ministry of Labour and the Rassaun Steel have lawyers in the courtroom, there are about 7 witnesses and this is expected to wrap up on Wednesday and then 5 jurors will try and come up with a recommendation.