Mr. Mike’s Plumbing Ltd., as an employer, pleaded guilty on July 13 in the Calgary Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The Crown withdrew 10 other counts.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on a water and sewer line construction site in Calgary on June 8, 2023. One worker died after an excavation caved in and buried the worker.
The court fined the company $115,000 including the victim fine surcharge. Under a creative sentence, the court also ordered the company to pay $215,000 to the Injury Prevention Centre. The centre will conduct a province-wide safety awareness campaign to empower young workers to recognize hazards, speak up about unsafe work and help prevent workplace injuries through targeted education, industry collaboration and a shared commitment to safer workplaces.
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 workplaces across the province. 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 fatality or serious injury.
Quick facts
- Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration does not provide sentence documents. These are available through the Calgary Court of Justice.
- 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.
- Victim fine surcharges apply to fines payable to the Crown. They are not applied to payments to other entities under creative sentences.