News Releases

Media Bulletin - Manitoba

October 5, 2017

Province Advises Employers Prosecuted for Workplace Incidents

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Penalties Total More Than $48,000

Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) is reminding employers that walls of an excavation must be sloped at 45 degrees and proper support structures must be used if required when workers are in an open excavation, after two workplaces were prosecuted for violations under The Workplace Safety and Health Act.

On Nov. 13, 2013, workers from both Precision Land Solutions Inc. and Inground Construction Ltd. were installing a drainage system in a farmer’s field in the RM of Stanley.  A Precision Land Solutions worker was seriously injured when an excavation wall collapsed.  No cage was being used in the excavation and the sides of the excavation were not shored.

On Aug. 2, 2017, both employers pled guilty under Section 2.8 of The Workplace Safety and Health Regulation M.R. 217/2006 to the charge of failing to ensure nothing involved in a serious incident was altered or moved until at least 24 hours after notice was given that a serious incident had occurred, and under Sec. 26.25 of The Workplace Safety and Health Regulation M.R. 217/2006 to the charge of failing to ensure that a worker did not enter a part of a trench beyond the point to which shoring had advanced.

Precision Land Solutions Incorporated was ordered to pay $21,677 in fines and surcharges and an additional $8,325 to WSH to educate the public on matters relating to workplace safety and health.

Inground Construction was ordered to pay $13,000 in fines and surcharges and an additional $5,000 to WSH to educate the public on matters relating to workplace safety and health.

When a workplace incident occurs, WSH may conduct an investigation and can forward a copy of the investigation to Manitoba Justice for review if it is determined that non-compliance to Manitoba’s safety and health laws contributed to the incident having occurred.

More information on WSH and The Workplace Safety and Health Act is available at www.gov.mb.ca/labour/safety/index.html.

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