Workplace safety failure results in a court conviction
An Alberta heavy equipment company has been fined $330,000 following the death of a worker who succumbed to carbon monoxide poisoning while on the job.
NC Equipment Ltd., based in Nisku, Alta., pleaded guilty to a single violation of Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Code in relation to the fatal incident, which occurred in February 2023. The company admitted to failing to ensure that equipment used by the worker would perform its intended function safely, CBC News reported.
Court documents show Jeffery Simmons died on Feb. 22, 2023, while conducting sandblasting work for the company in or near Edmonton. Investigators said Simmons had been using an air respirator with a supplied air system when he was exposed to lethal levels of carbon monoxide.
A co-worker later found him unresponsive at the site. He was transported to hospital in critical condition but died shortly afterward.
The court heard that Simmons had been operating a sandblasting system that included a portable air compressor, a Radex airline filter, a Nova blasting safety respirator, and a Mod-U-Blast sandblasting machine.
The risks linked to carbon monoxide exposure are well documented. The colourless, odourless gas can cause arrhythmia, seizures, or death when inhaled in high concentrations.
On July 14, NC Equipment Ltd. was convicted and ordered to pay the $330,000 penalty, which includes a victim surcharge. While the company originally faced 22 charges, all but one were withdrawn.
According to its website, NC Equipment Ltd. is a family-run business specializing in heavy equipment rentals and sales.
