The City of Prince Albert has pleaded guilty to a workplace health and safety violation stemming from a July 2024 incident in which two concrete blocks fell from a raised dump truck and struck a City employee.
The City accepted a fine of $92,857, along with a $37,142 court surcharge, bringing the total penalty to $129,999.
The City announced the guilty plea in a press release issued at 5 p.m. Thursday.
According to the release, the employee was greasing the rear box of a Freightliner dump truck and the box had to be raised to complete the work.
Two concrete blocks were stored in the back of the truck. As the box was raised, the blocks slid toward the rear, the tailgate opened and the blocks fell from the truck, striking the employee.
The release said the incident resulted in injuries, but did not provide further details about their extent.
The City said it has since reviewed its workplace safety practices and introduced changes across its work units.
Those changes include job hazard assessments specific to work units, renewed toolbox safety meeting forms and training on the development of safe operating procedures. New safe operating procedures have also been required across work units.
“This incident serves as a reminder that safety programs and policies are only effective when they are consistently applied in the workplace,” Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator Don Wood said in the City’s release.
Wood said the City conducted a comprehensive review of its safety practices after the incident and introduced additional safeguards.
The City said audits have been conducted to check compliance with the new hazard assessment, toolbox talk and safe operating procedure requirements. A new Occupational Health and Safety Committee has also been established at the worksite.
The City is also implementing new safety management software intended to improve how compliance with safety regulations is tracked and audited.
“While we cannot change what occurred, we can learn from it and take meaningful steps to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Wood said in the release.
The City said Saskatchewan’s occupational health and safety legislation requires employers to continually train and equip workers in changing work environments. It said the size of the penalty reflects the seriousness of the incident and the injuries that resulted.
Wood said the changes introduced since the incident have strengthened safety practices, accountability and oversight, while emphasizing that employees also have a role in identifying hazards and raising concerns.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
