A Calgary-based steel fabrication company has been fined $200,000 in connection with the death of a worker at its facility in 2021. Glenmore Fabricators Ltd. pleaded guilty to one count under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code for failing to implement safety procedures certified by a professional engineer. The company was sentenced on Oct. 15 by the Calgary Court of Justice.
The charges followed an incident on Aug. 16, 2021, when a worker was fatally injured while moving a steel beam with an overhead crane. The beam came loose from its rigging and struck the worker. The Crown withdrew 10 additional charges related to the incident as part of the plea agreement.
As part of the penalty, Glenmore Fabricators was ordered to pay $174,000 to the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) to purchase equipment for its electrical and welding apprenticeship programs, and $25,000 to the Manufacturers’ Health and Safety Association (MHSA) to improve its rigging resource centre website. The company also faces two years of enhanced regulatory supervision.
In addition to these payments, the company was fined $1,000, which includes a 20 per cent victim fine surcharge. Alberta’s OHS Act allows for creative sentencing, directing fines to organizations or projects that promote workplace safety.