A company that transports waste and recycling has been handed a $73,429 fine following a fatal workplace incident in Nanaimo, B.C., in December 2020.
According to WorkSafeBC, a driver for GFL Environmental died when they were reconnecting a commercial trailer to a transport truck.
While the driver was waiting for the trailer's air system to recharge, it rolled backwards and struck them, according to WorkSafeBC.
Investigators found that the trailer's wheels were not chocked at the time of the incident, and that GFL did not require them to be chocked as a safety requirement.
During the investigation, WorkSafe says it also learned that a similar incident had occurred at another GFL site, but that reports of the earlier incident and safety instruction on how to avoid the same situation was not shared with all its worksites.
"This was a high-risk violation," said WorkSafeBC in a statement Tuesday, adding that the company did not adequately assess the risks involved in reconnecting trailers to transport trucks.
The company also did not have adequate reports and records of safety incidents, says WorkSafeBC.
GFL was handed the $73,429.93 penalty on Feb. 1.
WorkSafeBC says penalties are intended to encourage employers to maintain safety at workplaces, and that the penalty amounts are generally based on the size of an employer's payroll.
