One worker was left seriously injured after the incident
Saskatchewan employer Brockman Enterprises Ltd. has just been fined $57,142.86 plus a surcharge of $22,857.14 following an explosion in the workplace that left one worker seriously injured.
The incident happened at a worksite near Humboldt on May 11, 2020. An oil barrel exploded and left one worker seriously injured.
Brockman Enterprises pleaded guilty to one violation under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 in Humboldt provincial court.
The employer admitted to contravening clause 12(b) of the regulations, or being an employer, failing to comply with the duties of an employer at a place of employment including arrangements for the use, handling, storage and transport of articles and substances in a manner that protects the health and safety of the workers, resulting in the serious injury of a worker.
Two other charges were withdrawn.
“Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and experience necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely,” according to the Saskatchewan government.
In April, Yukon occupational health and safety officials started investigating after at least one worker was injured during an explosion on a construction site for Normandy Manor in Yukon.
Previously, five people were hospitalized after an explosion and a fire at a food complex in Sherbrooke, QC in March.
Also, a total of 16 military personnel were injured during the explosion at the Canadian Forces Base Comox, also known as 19 Wing Comox, on Vancouver Island in November 2021. And an unidentified person died while another one was seriously injured in an explosion at a chemical plant in East York, Toronto in September 2021.
While not the most common of all workplace accidents, explosions and fires typically result in one of the highest casualty rates of all workplace accidents, according to a previous COS report. Because of these risks, explosion and fire hazards need to be taken very seriously by employers, safety officers and workers alike. Training should be exhaustive, workers should be provided with the proper gear and in those cases where chemical fires are a risk, the workplace should be equipped with all necessary safety data sheets (SDSs).
Improper management of combustion systems can cause fires and explosions, according to a previous report.
