In a unique decision, an Alberta employer, Needoba Construction Ltd., which pleaded guilty to the general charge of failing to ensure, as far as it is reasonably practicable to do so, the health and safety of a worker, has received a sentence which includes 18 months of corporate probation and 200 hours of community service. The employer was also sentenced to a fine of $11,150 including the victim fine surcharge.
The decision stems from a 2012 incident where a worker fell over 6.5 metres through an uncovered stairwell opening at a residential construction site. The worker sustained paralytic injuries. The employer did not have a fall protection plan in place at the work site. The employer was initially charged with 4 counts under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Alberta) but after it entered a guilty plea on the general charge, the remaining counts were dropped.
A corporate representative will be completing the community service time with a non-profit organization called Hearts and Hammers which renovates homes for people in need with mobility challenges.
While the Occupational Health and Safety Act (Alberta) gives the court fairly broad discretion and powers to make other orders in addition to, or as an alternative to, fines or imprisonment, this is the first time that community service has been ordered against an employer for an occupational health and safety violation.
The Alberta Government news release
