Province announces sentences in 2023 accident case
Two Alberta-based companies have been sentenced after pleading guilty to workplace safety violations related to a 2023 incident near Viking, Alta., that left a worker seriously injured.
In a statement released last week, the Government of Alberta said Keller Construction Ltd. and Alberta Concrete Pumping Ltd. each admitted to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code. The charge stemmed from a failure to ensure equipment was operated at a safe distance from overhead power lines.
According to the province, the incident took place on Nov. 27, 2023, when equipment at a construction site moved too close to a power line. The contact triggered an arc flash, a high-temperature discharge of energy that can heat the air up to 20,000 °C. Workers within one metre of such a flash risk severe burns, with clothing and skin capable of igniting, melting, or vaporizing.
The worker involved in the Viking incident sustained serious injuries.
Court records show Keller Construction was fined $2,000, including a victim fine surcharge. The company was also ordered to contribute $130,000 to Concrete Alberta to fund the development of an online training program for concrete pump operators.
Alberta Concrete Pumping received an $86,000 fine, including the surcharge, and was placed under enhanced regulatory supervision for a two-year period.
Both companies have 30 days to appeal the ruling.
