Saskatchewan company fined $350K after worker dies in conveyor entanglement

A Regina company was fined $350,000 in Weyburn Provincial Court on June 22, after being found guilty of two counts under The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 1996.

BLS Asphalt Inc. was found guilty of contravening:

• clause 12(c) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to provide any information, instruction, training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers at work, resulting in the death of a worker); and
• clause 137(1)(a) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to provide an effective safeguard where a worker may contact a dangerous moving part of a machine, resulting in the death of a worker).

The company was fined $125,000 plus a surcharge of $50,000 on each count. One additional charge was dismissed in court.

Charges stemmed from a workplace fatality that occurred near Ceylon, Sask., on Nov. 22, 2017.  A worker became entangled in a conveyor while clearing the chute of the conveyer system.