Richelieu Hardware Canada Ltd. has been fined $260,000 after pleading guilty to a safety violation linked to a workplace accident that seriously injured a worker, according to an announcement in Saskatoon Provincial Court on April 22.
The violation, detailed under subsection 14-2 of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, occurred when a worker was injured while loading a heavy crate onto a truck on November 25, 2021. The company failed to ensure that workers engaged in rigging activities were trained in safe practices.
As part of the court’s ruling, Richelieu Hardware was ordered to pay a fine of $185,714.29 with an additional surcharge of $74,285.71. The total penalty amounts to $260,000.
The incident involved a 4,000-pound crate of glass, which a worker was attempting to secure onto a vehicle when they were seriously injured. Following the court’s decision, one additional charge against the company was withdrawn.