BURST
The province’s Labour Department has finished its investigation into the death of an employee at the Walmart on Mumford Road in Halifax 16 months ago and says it found no safety violations.
Gursimran Kaur, 19, was found dead in a walk-in oven in the store’s bakery department on Oct. 19, 2024.
The department’s safety branch conducted an investigation into workplace conditions and the bakery oven involved in the incident.
“Investigators determined the oven was in proper working order at the time of the incident, and no safety violations were identified that could have contributed to the worker’s death,” the department said in a news release. “The department also found no broader safety concerns associated with the type of oven.”
Kaur was found at the store by other staff members, including her mother.
“Our thoughts remain with the worker’s family, friends and co-workers as they continue to cope with this tragic loss,” Labour, Skills and Immigration Minister Nolan Young said in the release. “Our responsibility is to understand what happened, determine whether safety requirements were met and use those findings to support future prevention efforts.”
The department said it will continue to support the family as part of the conclusion of the investigative process.
In late November 2024, Halifax Regional Police concluded their investigation into the incident and said there was no evidence of foul play in Kaur’s death.
“We understand there have been many questions about what happened. Thorough investigations take time. As a part of the investigation, we conducted several interviews, reviewed video footage and worked very closely with our partners at the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Medical Examiner’s Service,” Const. Martin Cromwell said at the time.
Cromwell said police acknowledged that there was considerable public interest in the case, and that there are questions that may never have answers.
Walmart removed the oven from the store after the incident.