A boiler explosion that killed a 51-year-old engineer and injured two other workers Monday has shut down a heating and cooling plant for an indefinite amount of time.
The Cliff plant, which serves 54 buildings in the downtown core, is shut down and the department is co-operating with the Ontario Fire Marshal, Technical Standards and Safety Authority, the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and the Department of Health and Safety for the investigation, said Pierre Vaillancourt, regional director of professional and technical services of Public Works.
It is too early to come up with a timeframe of when the Cliff heating and cooling plant will reopen, he said. The 18 people who work at the plant have been reassigned to other locations.
The extent of damage to the plant is unknown, he said.
In the meantime, the buildings normally served by the plant — “which include many parliamentary buildings and 240 Sparks, are fed by our heating and cooling plant at 45 Sacre Coeur in Gatineau,” Vaillancourt said. “Temperature and hot water supply in all affected facilities are being closely monitored to ensure occupant safety and well-being. The department is also taking measures to conserve heat such as leaving lights on and reducing the amount of outside air in buildings until full heating is restored,” he said.
