West Coast Scaffolding faces a hefty fine after a worker's tragic fall with funds directed to fire department training
West Coast Scaffolding, a supplier involved in a workplace fatality at the Peace River Pulp Mill in 2022, has been fined $350,000 under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act.
The fine, issued as part of a creative sentencing agreement, will be directed to Athabasca County. The county plans to use the funds to support training initiatives and acquire new rescue equipment for the Caslan Volunteer Fire Department.
The incident occurred on June 11, 2022, when a 53-year-old worker died after falling while dismantling scaffolding at the pulp mill site. Following an investigation, West Coast Scaffolding admitted to failing to ensure worker health and safety, leading to a plea of guilty.
The sentencing took place on Monday in St. Albert, Alberta.
The Crown agreed to withdraw eight additional OHS charges against the company as part of the plea deal. Both West Coast Scaffolding and the Crown retain the right to appeal the ruling or the financial penalty within a 30-day window.
In 2023, a total of 165 workers died in the workplace in Alberta, according to provincial government data. Of these fatalities, 89 were attributed to occupational diseases, 39 to trauma, and 29 to motor vehicle incidents, as reported by the Workers' Compensation Board of Alberta (WCB).
The 2023 fatalities pushed the total number of workers who have died in Alberta over the past decade to 1,773, as noted by The Alberta Worker, citing government statistics. While the 2023 total was high, it was still below the highest annual fatality rates recorded in the past 10 years. The highest were 188 in 2013, 178 in 2021, 169 in 2014, 166 in 2017, and 165 in 2019. On average, 161.2 workers have died annually in the workplace over the last decade.
