Company will pay $200 thousand fine in case of death of worker at Alberta Arena

An entertainment facility equipment supplier will pay $200,000 in workplace safety penalties after one of its employees died at a hockey rink in a small town east of Edmonton.

Global Sports Resources Ltd. pleaded guilty to one count of under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act and was sentenced Oct. 31 in Sherwood Park Court of Justice.

The worker died on March 21, 2022, at the community track in Tofield, a town of about 2,000 people 68 kilometers east of Edmonton.

While the workers were doing demolition and rehabilitation work, a support beam broke free and hit them. The worker fell 1.5 meters from the ladder and was seriously injured.

Global Sports Resources was found guilty of failing to take all reasonable steps to secure equipment or materials that could become dislodged and injure a worker.

The collapsed beam was allegedly located on the tailgate, a piece of hydraulic equipment that allows heavy loads to be lowered to the ground from the back of a truck.

creative sentence

Global Sports Resources Ltd. was ordered to pay penalties totaling $200,000 as part of the creative penalty.

Creative penalties involved in OSH investigations direct penalties that would otherwise be paid as fines to organizations or projects that promote workplace safety.

Under the creative penalty, the company will pay $75,000 to STARS Air Ambulance for operational expenses.

The company was also ordered to pay $100,000 to the Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association. The association will use the money to help develop and implement a fireline awareness campaign and safety training course.

The company was also subject to two years of enhanced regulatory oversight, government officials said.

Five other security charges laid against Global Sports Resources were also withdrawn by the Crown. Regarding the same incident, 7 charges against Reward İnşaat Ltd. within the scope of OHS legislation were also postponed.

Headquartered in Leduc County, Global Sports Resources specializes in the design, manufacture, supply and installation of equipment for sports facilities, primarily arenas and tracks.

Company officials could not be reached for comment.

Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal.