TAQA Drilling Solutions Inc. pleaded guilty to one charge under occupational health and safety (OHS) laws and was sentenced on June 4 in the Edmonton Court of Justice.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on a work site in Edmonton on March 23, 2022. A worker was disassembling oilfield drilling equipment when the worker was struck by a projectile, causing serious injuries.
The company, as an employer, pleaded guilty to one count under the OHS Code for failing to provide safeguards if a worker could come into contact with objects thrown by machinery or equipment. The Crown withdrew eight other counts. Under a creative sentence, the company was ordered to pay $126,000 to the Glenrose Hospital Foundation for neuromodulation research at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital.
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 penalties.
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 workplace fatality or serious injury.
Quick facts
- Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration does not provide sentence documents. These are available through the Edmonton Court of Justice.
- Victim fine surcharges apply to fines payable to the Crown. They are not applied to payments to other entities under creative sentences.