Man with allergy dies from walnut shells used at construction site

EDMONTON – The family of an Edmonton man with a nut allergy says he died after visiting a work site where walnut shells were used to blast paint off walls.

Justin Mathews, who was 33, went into anaphylactic shock at the city’s Rossdale fire station on Oct. 2.

He suffered brain damage after going into cardiac arrest, and was taken off life support five days later.

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety investigators are looking into the death.

Spokesman Trent Bancarz says the case is unusual.

He says alternatives to sandblasting — including the use of walnut shells, coconut shells and corn cobs — have been widely used in the construction industry over the last decade.