McLeod Valley Sand and Gravel, as an employer, pleaded guilty on Aug. 25 in the Evansburg 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 14 other counts. The Crown withdrew all 17 counts against JRF Oilfield Services Ltd. related to the same incident.
The charges stem from an incident that occurred on a construction site near Entwistle on June 29, 2023. A worker became entangled in a roller that formed part of a conveyer’s drive system and suffered serious injuries.
On Oct. 20, under a creative sentence, the court ordered McLeod Valley Sand and Gravel to pay $150,000 to the Alberta Sand and Gravel Association to develop three interactive online safety training modules.
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 fatality or serious injury.
Quick facts
- Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration does not provide sentence documents. These are available through the Evansburg 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.