Worker suffered carbon monoxide poisoning, says report
A former grocery store manager in Canora, Saskatchewan, has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm to a 14-year-old worker.
The incident occurred on Oct. 23, 2023, when Wil Krotenko, then 14, was directed to clean an enclosed area of the meat department using a gas pressure washer designed for outdoor use. Krotenko was later hospitalised in Canora and then transported to Alberta for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber due to the high levels of carbon monoxide in his blood, according to CBC.
The day before the incident, another teenage employee reportedly went home sick after using the same gas pressure washer.
CBC’s Go Public obtained text messages indicating that a supervisor was aware of the earlier incident. Despite this, the equipment continued to be used inappropriately, leading to Krotenko’s poisoning.
Kyle Kaiser, the former manager at Gateway Co-op, has been arrested and released. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 2 in Canora, according to the report.
Krotenko’s mother, Kelly, told CBC she believes the store’s owner and the company should also be held accountable, not just the manager.
The store’s owner did not respond to CBC’s request for comment.
In a previous statement to Go Public, Gateway Co-op described the incident as “a terrible incident that had the potential to be worse,” and said steps had been taken to prevent a recurrence.
The Co-op was ordered to comply with safety regulations within 11 weeks but has not faced fines or other penalties.
The government must put in place other tools such as administrative penalties so that, for serious incidents that won’t go through a prosecution, “there can be a significant financial penalty” on the employer, Sean Tucker, a professor of occupational health and safety at the University of Regina.
