‘Prevention must be the foundation of workplace safety, not a lesson learned after a life is lost’
Irving Shipbuilding Inc. has pleaded guilty to a single safety violation under Nova Scotia’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) in connection with the 2024 workplace death of Halifax Shipyard worker Jamie Knight, while Unifor is urging the Crown to uphold all of the original charges.
Knight, 43, a member of Unifor Marine Workers Federation (MWF) Local 1, died on Feb. 19, 2024 after he was struck by snow‑removal equipment at the Halifax Shipyard. Halifax Regional Police responded to the incident at about 11:40 a.m., and Knight was pronounced dead at the scene. The provincial Labour Department issued a stop‑work order and opened an investigation into safe work procedures for snow removal, and the equipment involved underwent a mechanical assessment.
In Halifax provincial court on Friday, defence lawyer Stan MacDonald entered a guilty plea on behalf of Irving Shipbuilding to one count of failing to create a safe work procedure or plan for snow removal, according to a report from the Toronto Sun.
Because a death was involved, the offence carries a maximum fine of $500,000. An agreed statement of facts will be filed at sentencing, and MacDonald and Crown attorney Paul Niefer are expected to present a joint recommendation for the court’s consideration. Judge Kelly Serbu has scheduled the sentencing hearing for April 24, according to the report.
Two Irving Shipbuilding vice‑presidents attended the proceeding, along with two officials from Unifor, which represents more than 1,100 workers at the yard.
OHSA charges, case background
The guilty plea resolves one of five OHSA charges laid against Irving Shipbuilding by a provincial Labour Department investigator in June 2025. The company was arraigned the following month.
According to earlier reporting by Canadian Occupational Safety, the charges alleged that the company failed to have a safe‑work plan for snow removal or to complete a risk assessment for hazards related to snow clearing; failed to ensure a wheel loader was used in accordance with manufacturer specifications or to designate a competent signaller; and did not conduct a risk assessment for workers heading to and from a hut where they could smoke.
Those four additional charges are expected to be withdrawn after sentencing.
Shortly after the incident, Irving Shipbuilding described the death as a “tragedy that deeply saddened the Irving Shipbuilding community,” and said “health and safety is a core value of Irving Shipbuilding and the company has complied with relevant laws, regulations, and the investigation relating to this incident.”
In a separate statement at the time, the company said it was “co‑ordinating resources and support for Knight’s family, colleagues and friends” and working closely with the Labour Department investigation.
Knight was not doing his regular job when the incident occurred. Unifor official Sari Sairanen, executive assistant to the secretary‑treasurer and former national health and safety director, said that “the worker was not performing his usual duties at the time of the accident. Instead, he was struck and killed by a front loader while it was clearing snowbanks at the shipyard.”
Unifor deployed health and safety experts to assess workplace hazards at the yard, examine where prevention failed and identify needed changes, while also providing support to affected workers and families.
The guilty plea
Despite the guilty plea, Unifor is calling for all of the original OHSA charges to proceed. In a March 6 news release, the union said it “urges the Crown to uphold all charges levied against Irving Shipbuilding under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, following the company’s guilty plea to the lesser charge of failure to create a safe work procedure or plan for snow removal.”
“Every worker has the right to return home safe, healthy, and whole,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This guilty plea is a reminder that we cannot wait for tragedy to take workplace hazards seriously. Prevention must be the foundation of workplace safety, not a lesson learned after a life is lost.”
The union said the original charges highlighted a failure to operationalise “several comprehensive safety measures, including stricter adherence to manufacturer specifications for site machinery and a failure to designate a signaller.”
Unifor Atlantic Regional Director Jennifer Murray added: “We know that in the wake of workplace tragedies, justice delayed is justice denied. Unifor pushed to bring this case before the courts quickly to make employer accountability an immediate priority. We remain focused on turning that accountability into action, securing the systemic changes needed to guarantee that every worker returns home safe at the end of their shift.”
