Equipment unexpectedly moved, resulting in a fatal injury to the worker
West Fraser Mills Ltd. and a contractor are facing multiple workplace safety charges following a fatal incident in which a worker was killed while servicing heavy equipment at an Alberta pulp facility.
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety has laid charges against West Fraser Mills Ltd. and Pacesetter Equipment Ltd. in connection with the March 13, 2024, death of a worker at West Fraser's Slave Lake Pulp operation, according to a report from the Cochrane Eagle.
The charges were formally filed on March 5, 2026.
The worker was servicing a CAT wheel loader when the fatal incident occurred, according to the report. The worker was positioned underneath the machine, which was elevated on wooden blocks, Cochrane Eagle reported. The equipment unexpectedly moved, resulting in a fatal injury to the worker.
Charges
Three entities face charges in the case: West Fraser Mills Ltd., West Fraser Mills Ltd. Slave Lake Pulp, and Pacesetter Equipment Ltd. All three are charged with five counts under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Code, while Pacesetter faces one additional count.
The companies are accused of failing to ensure the worker's safety while working under the elevated Caterpillar 980M wheel loader, according to the report. Specific allegations include permitting "the use of a stack of two wood blocks to support an elevated Caterpillar 980M Wheel Loader."
Additional charges allege the wood blocking used was not "of sufficient size, strength and design and made of suitable materials to withstand the stresses imposed on it during its operation and to perform the function for which it was intended or was designed," the Cochrane Eagle reported.
Procedural failures cited
The charges also allege failures to follow manufacturer specifications during equipment repair, including procedures to "position tooling (A) to support front drive shaft, use two people to remove front drive shaft, and use two people to remove parking brake," according to the report.
Another count alleges the companies failed to ensure that elevated parts of the powered mobile equipment "were securely blocked in place and could not move accidentally" during maintenance work.
Pacesetter Equipment faces an additional charge related to allowing a worker under a suspended load without proper support systems designed for that purpose.
West Fraser Ltd. operates a lumber mill in Cochrane after acquiring Spray Lake Sawmills in 2023.
Neither company has publicly responded to the charges.
