Worker was hit by a moving forklift
A Saskatchewan court has fined Air Liquide Canada Inc. $100,000 after a worker was seriously injured when struck by a forklift near Saskatoon.
The incident occurred on June 21, 2023 at a worksite near the city, according to a release from the provincial government.
The worker was hit by a moving forklift and sustained serious injuries. The release did not provide additional details about the nature of the injuries or the worker’s current condition. No information was given on the worker’s role, the specific location, or the time of day the incident occurred.
Court proceedings and penalties
On Feb. 10, 2026, Air Liquide pleaded guilty in Saskatoon Provincial Court to one count under subsection 9‑22(6) of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020. The provision requires an employer at a place of employment to develop and implement a traffic control plan to protect workers from traffic hazards.
The company admitted that it failed to develop and implement such a traffic control plan, and that this failure was linked to the serious injury of the worker involved. One additional charge laid under the same regulations was withdrawn as part of the proceedings, the province said.
The court imposed a base fine of $71,428.57 and added a victim fine surcharge of $28,571.43. The combined financial penalty totals $100,000.
The prosecution was brought under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, which place explicit obligations on employers to identify traffic hazards and control the interaction between workers and powered mobile equipment. Subsection 9‑22(6) specifically addresses the need for a formal traffic control plan, signalling that the province views this as a critical component of employer due diligence.
Forklift incidents
Here are some factors of work organisation that can contribute to forklift truck incidents, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS):
- Production factors such as speed or stress.
- Lack of proper tools, attachments and accessories.
- Improper assignment of forklifts and operators.
- Poor maintenance of forklifts.
- Age of forklifts.
- Lack of training or improper training of workers who have to operate forklift trucks.
- Improper blocking of wheels on semi-trailers or railway cars.
And here are the factors related to forklift operation that can contribute to incidents, according to the government agency:
- Travelling at excessive speed.
- Riding with the load elevated.
- Improper backing-up techniques.
- Improper turning, braking or accelerating.
- Improper warnings to others about a forklift in use nearby.
- Poor communication during shared tasks or in shared spaces.
- Not being aware of the route to be travelled (e.g., narrow passages, obstacles, poor surface conditions, etc.).
- Riding or giving rides on forklift or load.
- Parking the forklift improperly.
- Horseplay; stunt driving; jerky, erratic driving.
