One worker fell through a fiberglass skylight
Saskatchewan employer Spiritwood Stockyards (1984) Ltd. – which buys and/or markets cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats – has been fined a total of $325,000 after one of its workers died and another one was injured in the workplace.
The charges stemmed from two separate incidents that occurred near Spiritwood, Sask.
The first incident took place on Nov. 11, 2021, when attempting to load bulls onto a trailer.
That day, a worker was struck by a gate and seriously injured.
The second incident happened on Jan. 26, 2022, when a worker was attempting to clear snow off a roof. The worker fell through a fiberglass skylight and was fatally injured.
On May 14 this year, the employer pleaded guilty in Spiritwood Provincial Court to two violations of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.
The company was fined for “contravening subsection 7-6 (1) of the regulations (being an employer fail where there is a risk of injury to the head of a worker to provide approved industrial protective headwear and require a worker to use it, resulting in the serious injury of a worker),” said the Saskatchewan government.
Spiritwood Stockyards was also fined for “contravening subsection 9-2 (2) of the regulations (being an employer fail to ensure that workers use a fall protection system at a temporary or permanent work area if a worker may fall three metres or more; or there is a possibility of injury if a worker falls less than three metres, resulting in the death of a worker),” according to the provincial government.
The Spiritwood Provincial Court imposed a total fine of $232,142.86 with a surcharge of $92,857.14, for a total amount of $325,000.
