2 Saskatchewan companies fined for OHS violations

Both incidents resulted in fatalities

A Birch Hills, Sask., company has been fined $23,800 for violating one count under Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) legislation. The failure to comply resulted in the death of a worker.

Darcy Rask Construction pleaded guilty on Aug. 30, 2016, to contravening subsection 465(2) of the regulations (failure to ensure that no worker works and no equipment or powered mobile equipment is used or operated with the minimum distance from any exposed energized electrical conductor set out in column 1 of Table 22 of the appendix, and did thereby cause the death of a worker).

The incident occurred on Sept. 15, 2014, near Coleville, Sask., when a tractor with a crane came in contact with an overhead high-voltage line, killing a worker walking beside the tractor.

In an unrelated case, C. & F. Installations Company (1984) Ltd. from Saskatoon pleaded guilty on Aug. 29, 2016, to contravening subsection 164(3) of the regulations (being an operator of a unit of powered mobile equipment, failed to ensure that a unit of powered mobile equipment shall not move or cause to be moved any load or part of the equipment when a worker may be endangered by that movement). It was fined $32,200. The company had an additional charge that was stayed.

Charges stem from an incident on July 15, 2014 near Swift Current, Sask., when a worker became trapped under a trencher while installing irrigation pipes.

While everyone in the workplace is responsible to create and maintain a safe and healthy workplace, employers generally carry the greatest responsibility because they have the greatest degree of control.

The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses by ensuring compliance with OHS legislation through education, inspections, and where appropriate, enforcement.

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