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Following the 2021 death of a construction worker, a Brooks company pleaded guilty recently to a charge for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker.
Smith Group Holdings Ltd. and subsidiary Brooks Asphalt & Aggregate Ltd. were jointly charged with 15 counts under occupational health and safety (OHS) laws after a July 23, 2021 incident at a road construction site in the County of Newell.
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A worker was asphyxiated while cleaning out a gravel bin with a running conveyor, said the Alberta government in a Tuesday news release.
On March 6, Brooks Asphalt & Aggregate Ltd. pleaded guilty to one charge under the OHS Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The other charges against Brooks Asphalt & Aggregate Ltd. were withdrawn, as were all charges against Smith Group Holdings Ltd.
The company was ordered to pay $295,000 in total penalties, including a $1,000 fine.
“Under a creative sentence, $244,000 will be provided to the Alberta Construction Safety Association to develop a three-dimensional incident re-creation video, a series of learning videos, a toolbox talk resource guide and a safety session open to all industries,” the province said Tuesday.
The Brooks Fire Department will receive the remaining $50,000 to buy new rescue equipment.
Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalty.
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