Employers ordered to pay over $1.2 million
Suncor Energy Services Inc. and two other employers have been fined following the death of a worker at the company’s Base Mine nearly three years ago, according to a report.
The incident happened on July 7, 2022.
The 26-year-old male worker was performing shovel maintenance duties at the mine, located approximately 30 kilometres north of Fort McMurray, according to CBC.
The worker died when a piece of equipment known as a pendant line—which had been suspended from a crane—fell on him.
Suncor, Joy Global Canada Ltd. and NCSG Crane & Heavy Haul Services Ltd. have all been convicted in the worker's death, according to the report.
Suncor was fined $495,000 after pleading guilty to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code for failing to ensure sharp edges on loads being hoisted were guarded to prevent damage to the rigging.
Joy Global was fined $374,000 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker.
NCSG Crane was fined $374,000 after pleading guilty to failing to ensure a hazard assessment was repeated when a new work process was introduced.
As part of the sentence, the $1.234 million in penalties issued by the court will be allocated to the University of Calgary, University of Alberta and Mount Royal University for workplace safety research, according to CBC.
On top of the creative sentence, each company was fined $1,000 including the victim fine surcharge.
Between 2014 and 2022, 13 employees or contractors died at Suncor sites, Edmonton Journal previously noted in January 2023.
In February 2024, Suncor claimed that the year 2023 is the company’s best year in terms of workplace safety.
