Released on May 1, 2012
A Humboldt contractor, George Therres of Therres Construction, has pleaded guilty to one count under The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act related to a failure to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of a worker by failing to instruct the worker to keep a safe distance from a piece of power mobile equipment operated by an untrained operator. Therres was fined $4,200 in Humboldt Provincial Court.
The conviction related to an incident that occurred on October 1, 2010, at the site of a residential construction. A worker was injured after an improperly secured drilling attachment detached from a Bobcat and impacted the worker. One other charge against Therres was stayed.
In relation to the same incident, Mr. Gary Hoppe, the homeowner and Bobcat operator, pleaded guilty to one count under The Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act related to a failure to ensure all work at a place of employment was sufficiently and competently supervised. Hoppe was fined $4,200 in Humboldt Provincial Court. One other charge against Hoppe was stayed.
OHS conducts approximately 4,500 worksite inspections annually to ensure standards are known, understood and enforced, and investigates where workers are killed or seriously injured in a work-related incident.
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For more information, contact:
Shannon McMillan
Labour Relations and Workplace Safety
Regina
Phone: 306-787-1331