The coroner's office has declared the death of an Inco employee an industrial fatality. Brian Laughlin, 50, died March 25 from apparent lung failure. Laughlin, an employee at the Copper Cliff Nickel Refinery for 28 years, had experienced pneumonia-like symptoms, consistent with symptoms of nickel carbonyl exposure, which prompted Inco to contact the coroner to launch a forensic investigation into the cause of death. Nickel carbonyl is a gaseous intermediate in the company's refining process.
Though no official cause of death has been determined yet, the designation of industrial fatality clears the way for an inquest to be called at a later date. Exposure to nickel carbonyl remains the primary suspicion. The incident remains under investigation by Inco, the coroner's office, the Ministry of Labour and the Sudbury Regional Police.
