Tracy Phan said she wants to know what exactly happened on Sept. 5, 2008 that left her dad, Michael, with brain damage after being knocked out by toxic fumes while trying to save his co-workers.
Michael Phan has been in a vegetative state since the deadly gas-leak accident at a Langley mushroom farm that killed three workers and severely injured another.
The families of the men and the B.C. Federation of Labour are calling for a coroner’s inquest to answer questions why and how they died and what has been done to prevent similar incidents.
Fifteen-year-old Tracy said she’s worried that her dad won’t be there when she graduates high school or walk her down the aisle when she gets married.
“My dad’s my idol and I look up to him in every single way, but he’s not there anymore,” she said yesterday.
“He’s there physically but I can’t talk to him about what’s going on. And if some guy breaks my heart, my dad won’t be there to beat him up and I won’t get words of advice from him.”
Jim Sinclair, president of the B.C. Federation of Labour, said a coroner’s inquest could prevent farm workers from being exposed to unsafe working conditions.
“We look for a situation that says these people were not horribly injured and killed for no reason and that something will change,” he said.
Sinclair added they’re looking for the strictest jail terms for the farm owners, who pleaded guilty in May to 10 of 29 charges laid under the Workers’ Compensation Act and health and safety regulations. They will be sentenced Sept. 16 in Surrey.
Local news from metronews.ca/vancouver
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