Worker falls down a piling hole, sustaining injuries
Alberta employer Marathon Underground Constructors Corporation has been fined a total of $144,000 for a 2022 incident that left one worker injured.
The incident happened in an Edmonton construction site on March 7, 2022. One worker removed a piece of plywood that was covering a piling hole.
That worker then took a step and fell down the hole.
The worker was injured from the fall.
Specifically, the incident happened near 122 Street and 106 Avenue, according to a CTV News report.
On March 1 in the Edmonton Court of Justice, the Ontario-based employer pleaded guilty to one charge under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. Six other charges under OHS legislation were withdrawn.
Under a creative sentence, the company will pay the $144,000 to the Alberta Construction Safety Association to support developing a series of learning videos and a toolbox talk resource document.
The OHS Act provides a creative sentence option in which funds that would otherwise be paid as fines are directed to an organization or project to improve or promote workplace health and safety.
Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalty.
“Alberta’s OHS laws set basic health and safety rules for the province’s workplaces,” said the Alberta government.
“They provide guidance for employers to help them ensure their workplaces are as healthy and safe as possible while providing rights and protections for workers. Charges under OHS laws may be laid when failing to follow the rules results in a workplace fatality or serious injury.”
