Falling concrete block struck worker
The City of Prince Albert has been fined $130,000 after one of its workers was injured in their line of work.
The city government pleaded guilty in Provincial Court to a violation of Saskatchewan's Occupational Health and Safety Act after an employee was struck by concrete blocks that slid out of a raised dump truck box in July 2024.
The municipality accepted a fine of $92,857 plus a mandatory court surcharge of $37,142, for a total of $130,000.
The incident occurred as an employee was greasing the rear box of a Freightliner dump truck. The box was raised to allow the work to proceed.
As it lifted, two concrete blocks stored inside slid rearward, forcing the tailgate open. The blocks exited the rear of the box and struck the employee.
Corrective measures since the incident
Since the incident, the City says it has implemented work unit-specific job hazard assessments, renewed toolbox safety meeting forms, and trained staff on developing safe operating procedures (SOPs). New SOPs are now required across work units, and the City is implementing safety management software to track and audit compliance.
Audits have since been conducted on the new JHA, toolbox talk and SOP requirements, and a new Occupational Health and Safety Committee has been established at the worksite.
"This incident serves as a reminder that safety programs and policies are only effective when they are consistently applied in the workplace," said Don Wood, the City's Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator, in the release.
City's response and regulatory context
Wood said the City conducted a comprehensive review of its safety practices after the incident and added new safeguards, with a focus on strengthening its safety culture "to help prevent similar events in the future."
"While we cannot change what occurred, we can learn from it and take meaningful steps to prevent similar incidents in the future," Wood said, adding that safety requires ongoing commitment from all employees to identify hazards, follow safe work procedures and raise concerns.
The City's release states that Saskatchewan's OHS legislation is designed to deter future incidents and requires employers to continuously train and equip workers in dynamic work environments. It says the size of the fine reflects the seriousness of the incident and the resulting injuries.
The City of Prince Albert had also previously fined $95,000 after one of its workers suffered an injury in the workplace.
The incident happened on Sept. 22, 2022, when an employee, standing upright on the ledge of a retaining wall, reached down with a metal bar to unhook the nozzle of a hose under tension in a storm line outlet. As the nozzle was lifted free, the hose retracted swiftly, pulling the employee over the side of the retaining wall.
