Drilling company faces hefty fines after worker injured while moving rig

A Saskatchewan drilling company is facing hefty fines after breaking safety regulations, leading to a serious injury.

According to the Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, Rebel Drilling Ltd. pleaded guilty to two violations of Saskatchewan’s occupational health and safety regulations in a Weyburn courtroom last Wednesday.

The charges stemmed from an incident that happened in January of 2021, when a worker in Weyburn was seriously hurt while trying to back a tracked geotechnical drilling rig through a shop door, the ministry said.

The ministry said Rebel Drilling pleaded guilty to two charges — failing to provide necessary instruction, training and supervision, and failing to ensure only trained operators are required or permitted to operate powered mobile equipment.

The company was fined $20,000 for each contravention, along with an $8,000 surcharge in each case. In total, the company was required to pay $56,000.