A Fredericton road worker quit his job after he was forced to urinate in his pants while directing traffic because his company failed to provide a break. Robert Sewell had been standing in the middle of the road recently, controlling traffic coming over a bridge in the Fredericton area. It was also a hot afternoon, Sewell said, and he was drinking a lot of water to prevent dehydration. Sewell said he had been into his second hour of holding a sign to direct traffic, without a break. He said he asked for a break several times, but was denied because there weren't enough workers to cover for him. "I was a flag person on position here at the bridge, and it ended up the break schedule wasn't followed, and I ended up urinating in my pants," Sewell said. The incident left him feeling "degraded, humiliated," he said. When the agent in charge arrived, Sewell handed him the sign and went home. "I quit my job, left my position, called the boss and told him I'm turning in my equipment. That's it. I don't have to take that," he said. There are no provincial regulations on when workers get breaks to use the washroom. However, employees are supposed to get a 30-minute break for every five hours they work. WorkSafeNB, the organization that oversees workplace safety issues, said there are no regulations on when workers get a bathroom break, but it is incumbent on employers to make sure workers have the opportunity to relieve themselves. Ed Hennessey, the co-owner of Safety First in <b>...</b>
NB Road Worker Denied Break
Urinates in Pants
Fredericton
News
