The village pleaded guilty to two OHS violations
The Village of Laird in Saskatchewan has been fined $150,000 following serious workplace safety violations that resulted in a worker’s injury.
On July 10, the village pleaded guilty to two Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) violations before the Rosthern Provincial Court. These charges were linked to an incident on July 19, 2022, when a worker was ejected from the seat of a mower and became trapped beneath it, suffering serious injuries.
The court imposed a fine of $53,571.43 with a surcharge of $21,428.57 for each violation, totaling $150,000. Two additional charges were withdrawn.
According to a provincial government news release on Friday, the village failed to provide adequate supervision and did not identify and correct safety hazards on powered mobile equipment.
The Village of Laird, located approximately 67 kilometers north of Saskatoon, was found to have violated subsection 3-6(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, which requires employers to ensure that all work is sufficiently and competently supervised. The village also contravened clause 11-4(b), which mandates immediate steps to protect workers from identified defects or unsafe conditions in powered mobile equipment.
The court’s decision reflects the severity of the incident and underscores the importance of workplace safety and proper supervision.
