Employers hit with fines after workers injured in Fillmore, Wood Mountain

Two Saskatchewan employers were hit with fines this month for breaching occupational safety legislation, which contributed to two serious accidents.

The first accident occurred June 18, 2020, when a worker in Fillmore was standing on a ladder which slipped, leading to a fall and serious injuries.

On Sept. 2 of this year, the worker’s employer — Zbigniew Gromek, operating as Double G Painting — was found guilty in Weyburn Provincial Court of two breaches of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, including a clause requiring employers to ensure portable ladders are secured against accidental movement whenever they are in use.

As a result, the company was fined a total of $8,400.

The second, unrelated incident occurred Nov. 14, 2019, when a worker in Wood Mountain made contact with an energized power line and was seriously injured.

On Sept. 8 of this year, the employer in that case, Bill Goodtrack, pleaded guilty in Assiniboia Provincial Court to violating a clause in the regulations which requires employers to provide information, instruction, training and supervision as needed for worker safety.

Goodtrack was fined a total of $14,000.

“Employers are required to provide safe and healthy workplaces, and must provide information, training and supervision necessary for employees to perform their jobs safely,” the provincial government said in a statement.