Weyerhaeuser has pleaded guilty under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act to one count for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker, for an incident that took place in November of 2023.
Officials say the charges come from an incident that took place at a lumber mill near Grande Prairie on Nov. 18, 2023. OHS says a worker died after using a pike pole to clear an obstruction from a machine; the pole then ejected from the machine and struck the worker.
As a result of the ruling, Weyerhaeuser has been ordered by the court to pay $355,000 to Northwestern Polytechnic to help develop the Northern Industrial Safety Pathways Program. The program provides structured training and tuition support for new and inexperienced workers in the forestry, oil and gas, manufacturing, mining and agriculture sectors.
The company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalty.
