Workplace Injury Results in Fines for Employer

Released on May 3, 2022

A Saskatchewan company pleaded guilty to two violations of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 in Swift Current Provincial Court on April 20, 2022.

Rock Solid Trucking Ltd. was fined $26,500 plus a surcharge of $10,600 for a total of $37,100 for contravening:

• clause 156(b)(i) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, where a defect or unsafe condition that may create a hazard to a worker is identified in the powered mobile equipment, fail to immediately take steps to protect the health and safety of any worker who may be at risk until the defect is repaired or the unsafe condition is corrected, resulting in the serious injury of a worker); and 
• For contravening clause 8(1)(b) of the regulations (being an employer or contractor, fail to give notice to the division as soon as is reasonably possible of every accident at a place of employment that will require a worker to be admitted to a hospital as an in-patient for a period of 72 hours or more, resulting in the serious injury to a worker). 

Two other charges were stayed in court.

Charges stemmed from an incident that occurred at a worksite near Cadillac, on August 18, 2020. A worker sustained injuries while operating a loader. 

Employers and contractors are required by the regulations to report all serious injuries, fatalities and dangerous occurrences that occur in the workplace to the Occupational Health and Safety Branch at the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety. 

The legislation defines a serious injury as an injury that would require a worker to be admitted to hospital for at least 72 hours, and a dangerous occurrence as any incident that could have resulted in a workplace fatality or serious injury, but did not. For more information about how to report a fatality, serious injury or dangerous occurrence, visit saskatchewan.ca.

-30-

For more information, contact: