City develops a new safe work practice in response to the incident
The City of Prince Albert, in Saskatchewan, has been fined $95,000 after one of its workers suffered an injury in the workplace.
The incident happened on Sept. 22, 2022, when an employee, standing upright on the ledge of a retaining wall, reached down with a metal bar to unhook the nozzle of a hose under tension in a storm line outlet.
As the nozzle was lifted free, the hose retracted swiftly, pulling the employee over the side of the retaining wall.
On April 25, 2024, the City of Prince Albert pleaded guilty in Prince Albert Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.
“The company was fined for contravening subsection 9-2 (2) of the regulations (being an employer fail to ensure that workers use a fall protection system at a temporary or permanent work area if a worker may fall three metres or more or there is a possibility of injury if a worker falls less than three metres, resulting in the serious injury of a worker),” said the Saskatchewan government.
“As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $67,857.14 with a surcharge of $27,142.86, for a total amount of $95,000.”
The city government said that “the substantial fine reflects the seriousness of the incident and resulting injuries”.
“Our employees operate in various workspaces and surroundings, presenting unique and sometimes dangerous circumstances,” said Don Wood, health, safety and environment coordinator for the City of Prince Albert. “While this incident was the consequence of rare circumstances, the resulting procedure equips our employees with a better standard going forward and will serve as a tool for other workplaces in Saskatchewan to help improve the safety of employees across the province.”
In response to the incident, the City of Prince Albert has developed a new safe work practice involving the use of a mobile fall arrest system for use in similar circumstances, which the Crown acknowledged was now a leading standard in the province, the city government noted.
“One workplace incident is too many. The safety of our employees is an ongoing commitment, and we acknowledge the significance of this incident, the impact it has had on the individual and the responsibility we have to ensure our employees are properly trained and equipped to perform their jobs safely,” said Wood.
