Worker was seriously injured while operating an overhead crane
Saskatchewan employer Brandt Industries Canada Ltd. has been fined $5,000 plus a $2,000 surcharge for an incident that led to a serious injury to one worker
The charge stems from the events that unfolded on Feb 26, 2019. That day, a worker was operating an overhead crane at the Regina workplace.
The lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) contributed to the injury, according to the court. Brandt pleaded guilty in Regina Provincial Court to contravening subsection 91(1) of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996 or, being an employer, failing to provide approved industrial protective headwear and to require a worker to use it where there is a risk of injury to the head of a worker, resulting in the serious injury of a worker.
“Under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 employers are required to report to the Occupational Health and Safety Branch of the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety all serious injuries, fatalities and dangerous occurrences that occur in the workplace,” noted the Saskatchewan government.
New health and safety requirements for safety headgear among British Columbia employers took effect on Sept. 1, 2021.
However, PPE does not reduce workplace hazard nor does it guarantee permanent or total protection for the wearer, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
Simply having Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) available is not enough, it said, adding that in order to ensure the required level of protection:
- PPE should be selected considering the type of hazard and the degree of protection required.
- PPE should be useable in the presence of other workplace hazards.
- Users should be trained in proper use and fit of the PPE.
- PPE should be properly stored and maintained.
- If PPE is found to be defective, it should be discarded and replaced.
Previously, British Columbia employer 1098369 B.C. Ltd. was fined $2,500.00 after an incident at an industrial construction site. The worker was operating the dump truck at the site when it experienced a brake failure while descending a slope, leading to the injury.
Also, Rebo Beton Pumping Ltd. was fined $14,868.51 for an incident that left one of its workers seriously injured. The worker fell into an excavation.
Prime Health Ltd./Asian Herbs & Nutritionals was also fined $28,090.34 after one of its workers was seriously injured in the workplace. A worker tried to dislodge a plastic bottle from a sorting and conveyor machine. While doing this, the worker came into contact with a nip point and was seriously injured.
The Saskatchewan provincial government is also providing more information about workplace health and safety training and resources at the WorkSafe Saskatchewan website, available at https://www.worksafesask.ca/.
