The chief executive of Suncor Energy said on 3 February that he is taking steps to make the Canadian oil producer safer for its workers and its operations more reliable after an employee died last month.
The worker died at Suncor’s Base plant in Alberta's oil sands on 6 January after a heavy haul truck rear-ended a second truck at the mine. The incident is the fourth fatality at a Suncor facility since late 2020, according to Scotiabank.
“As CEO, the accountability for safety and operational excellence is with me, period. Like, I own this," CEO Mark Little said on a quarterly conference call with analysts.
The company will adopt new technology—common in the mining industry but new to the Canadian oil sands—on all mobile equipment to avoid collisions and manage fatigue, Little said, adding that it will be in place within 18–24 months.
Other steps include implementing standard risk assessments across all sites.