The Town of Drayton Valley has been ordered to pay $325,000 in fines in relation to a 2017 workplace incident that left a 21-year-old man dead.
On Aug. 3, 2017, Tyson Titanich was injured while operating a ride-on lawn mower near a pond in the town southwest of Edmonton. At the time, Occupational Health and Safety said the man was airlifted to the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton where he was pronounced dead.
The town was in court in Edmonton last Thursday, speaking to the 12 charges it faced following the incident.
The Crown in the case dropped 11 of the charges originally laid against the town. The town proceeded to plead guilty to one charge of failing to ensure the equipment, a John Deere riding lawn mower, was operated in accordance with the specifications of a professional engineer or with the manufacturer’s specifications, which state the equipment not be used near ditches, drop-offs, embankments or bodies of water.
The town was ordered to pay a $300,000 fine, plus a victim surcharge of $25,000.
“The town recognizes and acknowledges the poor safety performances of the past and has worked diligently to create a compliant health and safety culture that enhances our worker safety,” the town said in a statement dated Dec. 20.
The Crown agreed to an alternate sentencing agreement, which will see the money go to the Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association for the development and implementation of a lawn mower program.
“The program will focus on the training of summer staff as well as a supervisor of summer staff component,” the town said.
Drayton Valley is located about 140 kilometres southwest of Edmonton.
Comments