Death of Ottawa teen prompts investigation at high schools

The death of an Ottawa teenager in a shop class earlier this year has prompted a review of safety procedures in Ontario high schools.

Eric Leighton, 18, died in May after an explosion in a shop class at Mother Theresa high school. His class was working on a project to create barbeques out of empty barrels of peppermint.

Inspectors with the Ministry of Labour are now visiting schools with shop classes and science labs to ensure staff and students are safe.

All high schools in Ontario with shop classes and labs will be visited by the end of October. The inspectors will be paying special attention to how chemicals are stored and what safety gear is in place.

The Labour Ministry's mandate is to protect workers and staff in schools, but the hope of the investigation is to make sure students will be safer too.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr

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  Eric Leighton, 18, died in an explosion at Mother Teresa High School in Ottawa on May 26, 2011.