Two Saskatchewan face penalties for occupational health and safety violations

Two Saskatchewan companies pleaded guilty to occupational health and safety violations for failing to ensure workers were using necessary safety equipment.

Shannon Louise Power, operating as Power Roofing Systems in Saskatoon, pleaded guilty to:

• Contravening section 91 of the regulations (fail to ensure that workers wear approved industrial headwear); and
• contravening subsection 116(2) of the regulations (fail to ensure that workers use a fall protection system at a work area where a worker may fall three metres or more).

Power was fined $1,000 plus a surcharge of $400 for each contravention in Saskatoon Provincial Court on August 10, 2017.  Fines totalled $2,800.

Charges stem from an inspection that took place on June 2, 2016, when workers were observed not using necessary safety equipment by an Occupational Health Officer.  Fortunately, no incident occurred and no one was injured.

In a second, unrelated case, Ram Distribution Ltd., operating as The Energy Doctor in Saskatoon, pleaded guilty to:

• Contravening section 91 of the regulations (fail to ensure that workers wear approved industrial headwear);
• contravening subsection 116(2) of the regulations (fail to ensure that workers use a fall protection system at a work area where a worker may fall three metres or more);
• contravening subsection 116.1(1) of the regulations (fail to develop a written fall protection plan where a worker may fall three metres or more and are not protected by a guardrail or similar barrier); and
• contravening subsection 96(1) of the regulations (fail to ensure that a worker uses footwear that is appropriate to the risks associated with the worker’s place of employment and occupation).

One additional charge was stayed in Saskatoon Provincial Court on August 10, 2017.  The company was fined $1,000 plus a surcharge of $400 for each contravention, a total fine of $5,600.

Charges were laid after an Occupational Health Officer observed workers not using proper safety equipment during an inspection on June 21, 2016.  Fortunately, no incident occurred and no one was injured.

Falls from heights can cause serious injuries and are easy to prevent.

To learn more about fall prevention, business owners and employees are encouraged to contact WorkSafe Saskatchewan or their industry safety association for recommendations on equipment and training.

Source: Government of Saskatchewan