Alberta ag company penalized for serious workplace injury

An Alberta farm equipment dealership has been given a hefty fine after a serious workplace injury.

George’s Farm Centre Ltd. has been ordered to pay $108,000 after pleading guilty on Sept. 19 in Red Deer Court.

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Charges were laid according to the Occupational Health and Safety Code after a worker was permitted to remain within range of a moving load or a part of powered, mobile equipment that created a danger to the worker.

The incident occurred on the side of a highway in Lacombe County on June 23, 2023. A worker unhitched an air seeder tank from a tractor, but the tank rolled back and the worker was seriously injured while attempting to stop it.

Under a creative sentence, the dealership was ordered to pay the fine to the University of Calgary to develop hazard-recognition workplace-simulation software. The training tool will be adaptable and customizable for multiple work sites.

The OHS Act provides for 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.

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 and provide guidance for employers to help them ensure their workplaces are as healthy and safe as possible while providing rights and protections for workers.

Under OHS laws, charges may be laid when failing to follow the rules results in a fatality or serious injury.