The tragic workplace incident in December 2021 that claimed Preston Allen’s life serves as a painful reminder of the risks present in the construction industry. On March 4, 2025, the jury at a coroner’s inquest provided recommendations to help prevent similar incidents in the future.
WorkSafeNB takes these recommendations seriously. Every workplace death is unacceptable, and every injury is preventable. Our vision is to make New Brunswick the safest place to work, and we recognize that achieving this requires continuous learning, strong enforcement, and deeper collaboration.
The construction industry presents unique challenges, and we are committed to addressing them with even greater urgency. The jury's recommendations reinforce the importance of education, proactive inspections, and partnerships are all key elements of our existing prevention strategy.
Through our existing partnerships with organizations like the New Brunswick Construction Safety Association and Safety Services New Brunswick, we provide critical training and resources to workers and employers. Our annual Health and Safety Conference brings together hundreds of professionals to discuss and advance workplace safety.
Additionally, our dedicated health and safety consultants are available to help workplaces with such things as new worker orientation, hazard identification, safety programs, and joint health and safety committees. They can be reached at worksafenb.ca/consultation-services.
Inspections remain an important tool in our prevention efforts. Our officers conduct workplace visits to ensure compliance with safety laws, working with employers to correct hazards before they lead to tragedy. While education and awareness are always our first approach, we also have enforcement measures—including compliance orders, stop work orders, and administrative penalties—to address serious safety violations.
We are proud that New Brunswick is the safest places to work in Canada, but we know we can and must do better. Every worker deserves to go home safely at the end of the day. The jury’s recommendations strengthen our resolve to make that a reality.