Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety | 3Twenty Modular has been sentenced after having pleaded guilty in Saskatoon Provincial Court to violations of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.

The company was charged with contravening subsection 13-3 (1) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, fail to ensure that every hoist, crane and lifting device, including all rigging, used at the place of employment is designed, constructed, installed, maintained and operated to perform safely any task for which the hoist, crane, lifting device, or rigging is used, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

The company was also charged with contravening clause 14-2 (b) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, failing to ensure that any worker who is required or permitted to assemble, use, maintain or dismantle rigging is trained in safe rigging practices, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

As a result, the Court imposed fines on each count of $35,714.29, along with a surcharge of $14,285.71, for a total penalty of $100,000.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on 21 July 2023, in Corman Park, Saskatchewan. A worker was seriously injured when a wall at a construction site fell and landed on their leg. Two other charges were stayed.

Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety | Brandt Industries Canada Ltd. has been sentenced after being found guilty in Regina Provincial Court for one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.

The company was charged with contravening subsection 11-2 (2) of the regulations (being an employer fail to ensure that only trained operators are required or permitted to operate powered mobile equipment, resulting in the serious injury of a worker).

As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $39,286.71, along with a surcharge of $15,713.29, for a total amount of $55,000.

The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on 2 September 2021, in Regina, Saskatchewan. A worker was seriously injured while operating a forklift.

Government of Alberta | A sand and gravel supplier has been penalised $150,000 related to a serious workplace injury incident.

McLeod Valley Sand and Gravel, as an employer, pleaded guilty in the Evansburg Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The Crown withdrew 14 other counts.

The Crown withdrew all 17 counts against JRF Oilfield Services Ltd. related to the same incident.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on a construction site near Entwistle on 29 June 2023. A worker became entangled in a roller that formed part of a conveyer’s drive system and suffered serious injuries.

Under a creative sentence, the court ordered McLeod Valley Sand and Gravel to pay $150,000 to the Alberta Sand and Gravel Association to develop three interactive online safety training modules.

The OHS Act provides a creative sentence option in which funds that would otherwise be paid as fines are directed to an organisation or project to improve or promote workplace health and safety.

Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.

Government of Alberta | An insulation and metal cladding contractor has been fined $210,000 related to a workplace death.

Pacific Rim Industrial Insulations Ltd., as an employer, pleaded guilty in the Fort McMurray Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code for failing to ensure a worker used a travel restraint system where the worker could fall a vertical distance of three metres or more.

The company was fined $210,000 including the 20% victim fine surcharge and placed on 18 months of enhanced regulatory supervision. The Crown withdrew three other counts.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at an oil sands facility at Mildred Lake on 8 June 2023.

A worker died after falling through an opening while replacing a building’s metal roof.

Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.

Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety | A transportation company operating as Schmidt Trucking has been fined after pleading guilty to altering shorelines and failing to follow permit conditions in relation to culvert installations.

The unauthorised activity took place on Highway 24 between Spiritwood and Chitek Lake.

The case began when Spiritwood conservation officers observed a significant amount of soil and debris at a creek flowing directly into Chitek Lake. Concerned about potential impacts on water quality and aquatic habitats, officers inspected other work areas along Highway 24 and found similar issues.

The investigation revealed the activities were related to work completed by Schmidt Trucking from Kelvington, Saskatchewan in 2022 when they were hired to install culverts for the Highway 24 upgrade project.

The installation work done by the Kelvington area business blocked and altered the natural flow of creeks in the area, leading to potential ecological harm and impacts to fish-bearing waters.

These activities violated provisions under the Environmental Management and Protection Act, 2010, which governs the protection of waterbodies and surrounding ecosystems.

Government of Alberta | A construction company and a concrete supplier have been penalised $218,000 collectively, relating to a serious workplace injury incident.

Keller Construction Ltd. and Alberta Concrete Pumping Ltd., as employers, both pleaded guilty in the Vegreville Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code for failing to ensure equipment was operated at a safe distance from an overhead power line.

The Crown withdrew eight other counts against Keller Construction Ltd. and seven other counts against Alberta Concrete Pumping Ltd.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on a construction site near Viking on 27 November 2023. A worker was seriously injured by an arc flash from equipment that moved too close to an overhead power line.

The court fined Keller Construction Ltd. $2,000 including the victim fine surcharge. Under a creative sentence, the company was also ordered to pay $130,000 to Concrete Alberta to develop an online training course for concrete pump operators.

Alberta Concrete Pumping Ltd. was fined $86,000 including the victim fine surcharge and placed on two years of enhanced regulatory supervision.

The Occupational Health and Safety Act provide a creative sentence option in which funds that would otherwise be paid as fines are directed to an organization or project to improve or promote workplace health and safety.

Both companies and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.

Government of Alberta | A steel construction and fabrication company has been penalised $90,000 related to a serious workplace injury incident.

Steele Tech Fabrication Inc., as an employer, pleaded guilty in the Barrhead Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The Crown withdrew four other counts.

Under a creative sentence, the company was ordered to pay $90,000 to the Barrhead Composite High School to purchase equipment for the school’s shop and welding/fabrication labs to increase student and teacher safety and provide students with high quality, modern training. The company was also placed on 18 months of enhanced regulatory supervision.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred at a steel fabrication shop near Barrhead on 17 March 2022.

Workers were moving a steel I-beam out of the shop with a telehandler forklift. The I-beam fell off the forks and struck a worker, who was walking beside the I-beam to guide it. The worker sustained serious injuries.

The OHS Act provides a creative sentence option in which funds that would otherwise be paid as fines are directed to an organisation or project to improve or promote workplace health and safety. The company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.

Canadian Occupational Safety| Alberta oilfield services company Terroco Industries has been fined nearly $450,000 for the unsafe storage and illegal disposal of industrial sewage.

The Red Deer-based company was penalised by the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) following a series of infractions at its Stettler, Alta., disposal site dating back to the summer of 2023.

The AER investigation found that Terroco Industries unlawfully accepted and stored 14,196 cubic metres of industrial sewage over a 40-day period. The waste, which originated from an agricultural-based industrial facility, was not approved under the company’s licence and its disposal by deep well injection is strictly prohibited under Alberta law.

The regulator identified five key contraventions, including accepting unapproved waste, operating an above-ground storage tank without secondary containment, leak detection, or spill control, and using a tank foundation that was improperly designed and at risk of collapse. Testing also confirmed the presence of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or “forever chemicals,” in the wastewater, which are known to pose long-term environmental and health risks.

The AER stated that accepting unapproved waste undermines regulatory oversight and increases the risk of adverse effects to both the environment and human health.

Of the $448,980 total penalty, $298,980 was attributed to illegally generating revenue from the storage of unauthorised waste. The fine was increased due to what the regulator described as “wilful negligence” and a failure to comply with previous warnings.

Canadian Occupational Safety | British Columbia employer Canfor Pulp Ltd. has been fined $489,104.10 after one of its workers was injured on the job.

WorkSafeBC attended the company’s worksite in response to an incident in which a worker was injured when an unguarded cylinder activated on a hydraulic pumping system (atmospheric diffuser).

The agency determined that the employer failed to ensure its machinery and equipment were fitted with adequate safeguards to protect workers from hazardous points of operation. This was classified as a high-risk violation.

According to the CCOHS Welding – Storage and Handling of Compressed Gas Cylinders fact sheet, employers must ensure the following measures are in place when compressed gases are used or stored:

  • Develop and implement a Safe Operating Procedure (SOP). This procedure must be created by a safety technical specialist and clearly define what constitutes a cylinder being “in storage” versus “in use”.
  • Provide required worker training, including WHMIS.
  • Maintain an accurate, up-to-date cylinder inventory.
  • Control maximum quantities of gases on site in accordance with legislative limits.
  • Avoid storing fuel gas cylinders in cabinets, whether enclosed or vented. If security is a concern, use a screened cage with at least two sides 80% or more open to ensure airflow.
  • Monitor storage area gas levels, particularly for flammable gases and oxygen.
  • Adhere to firewall specifications and separation distances between incompatible gases, as required by local regulations.
  • Secure compressed gas containers and systems against physical damage and tampering.
  • Select appropriate outdoor storage locations. Use a well-drained, non-combustible platform (e.g., concrete), avoid hydrocarbon-based asphalt for oxidizers, and avoid exposure to humidity.
  • Site storage areas away from vegetated zones. Maintain a clear area, commonly a minimum of six metres, from forest or brush, in line with local requirements.
  • Ensure indoor storage rooms meet code requirements, including building, electrical, and fire codes.
  • Display “No Smoking” signs in both indoor and outdoor storage areas.
  • Set and post maximum storage temperatures:
    • In use – less than 48.9 °C (120 °F).
    • General storage – less than 51.7 °C (125 °F).
  • Consider separate securing for each cylinder to prevent falling or toppling when neighbouring cylinders are removed.

Kelowna Capital News | WorkSafeBC has issued a fine to Axis Family Resources for what it said was deemed a “high risk” violation at a worksite in Williams Lake.

WorkSafeBC states the fine was issued for the amount of $467,496.80 in relation to asbestos at a residential social services facility.

It inspected the worksite to review the implementation of their exposure control plan after facility walls with identified asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) had been damaged and needed repairs.

WorkSafeBC said they issued a stop-work order as a result of what they found during their site visit.

As the owner of the building, the firm failed to ensure the asbestos abatement contractor held a valid licence and that all ACMs present in the workplace were identified with signs or labels, and the organisation failed to ensure the health and safety of workers at the site.

WorkSafeBC said these were repeated violations, and the firm failed to take the necessary precautions to protect workers before work to potentially disturb the ACMs went ahead.

According to WorkSafeBC, asbestos exposure is the number one killer of workers in the province and contributed to 32 work-related deaths in 2024.

WorkSafeBC requires mandatory training and licensing for asbestos abatement work.

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