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2026 OHS Fines Scorecard (August 15 to September 15)

With summer coming to an end, there were only seven significant ($25,000 or more) reported Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) fines in Canada from August 15 to September 15. That’s the second smallest reporting month total of 2026. Total reported OHS fines for the year now stand at 91, as compared to 121 at this time last year. That’s a significant gap which will likely shrink during the busy autumn months to come.

Low fine volume was largely offset by high fine dollar amounts. Thus, the average fine for mid-August to mid-September was $195,143, by far the highest of 2026 and nearly $44,000 above what had been the previous year-high of $151,488 reported two months ago. The August spike increases the average reported OHS fine for the year to $131,110; but that’s still well below the $141,864 average fine through September 2025. Three quarters into the year, total OHS fine dollars for 2026 are at $11.931 million, as compared to $20.484 million through the first nine months of 2025.

Table 1. OHS Fines in 2026 At A Glance (through August 15)

Period Total Reported Fines Reported 6-Figure Fines Total Fines Value (in millions of dollars) Average Fine Amount
January to Mid-February 12 7 $1.540 $128,333
Mid-February to Mid-March 4 2 $0.358 $89,500
Mid-March to Mid-April 11 1 $0.726 $66,000
Mid-April to mid-May 11 5 $1.398 $127,100
Mid-May to mid-June 17 12 $2.296 $135,070
Mid-June to mid-July 17 10 $2.575 $151,488
Mid-July to mid-August 12 7 $1.672 $139,333
Mid-August to mid-September 7 4 $1.366 $195,143
YTD Total 91 48 $11.931 $131,110

Source: Bongarde

Six-Figure OHS Fines

Of the 91 total OHS fines reported in 2026, 48 have been $100,000 or more. By comparison, through nine reporting periods of 2025, 59 of the 121 fines were in the six-figure range. This month, four of the seven significant reported OHS fines were six figures. That includes the month-high $500,000 fine against an Ontario food processing facility for a carbon dioxide exposure incident. That’s the highest OHS fine from Ontario and the third highest in Canada this year.

Alberta, which didn’t report any six-figure fines at all during the first five months of the year, has imposed 11 fines of $100,000 or more in the past four months, including the second and third highest of the mid-August to mid-September reporting period--$318,000 against a prime contractor for a fatal roof fall at a multi-employer construction site, and $312,000 against an energy company for a worker’s death during a fracking operation. Saskatchewan accounted for the only other six-figure fine of the month.

Table 2. Top OHS Fines of 2026

Fine Amount Province Type of Company/Incident Result
1
$624,051
 British Columbia Global hotel operator fined after asbestos, lead, and mould discovered at renovation site. No fatality or injury.
2 $521,694 British Columbia Retailer fined for storage rack violations. No fatality or injury.
3 $500,000 Ontario Food processing plant fined for carbon dioxide release in deli department. Serious injury to one worker.
4 $460,000 British Columbia Excavation contractor fined for criminal negligence resulting in collapse of retaining wall into a trench. Fatal injury to one worker and serious injury to another.
5 $360,000 Alberta Mining company fined for pipe handling violation. Fatal injury to one worker.
6 $355,000
Alberta
 Timber company fined for failing to guard a Canter 4 machine. Fatal injury to one worker.
7 $350,000 Alberta Building materials maker fined for failing to ensure marble slabs being moved by a forklift were adequately secured. Fatal injury to one worker.
8
$330,000
Alberta
 Plumbing company fined for trench collapse.
Fatal injury to one worker.
9 $318,000 Alberta Prime contractor fined for worker’s fall through a roof. Fatal injury to one worker.
10 $312,000
Alberta
 Energy company fined for not implementing emergency rescue protocols for fracking workers.
Fatal injury to one worker.
11 $276,000 Nunavut Energy corporation fined for failing to de-energize emergency generator. Fatal injury to one worker.
12 $250,000 Ontario Recycling processor fined for failing to guard conveyor. Fatal injury to one worker.
12 $250,000 Alberta Construction firm fined for failing to secure storage racks. Serious injury to one worker.

Source: Bongarde

In line with historic patterns, Ontario is dishing out the most six-figure fines of any province with 22 in 2026. That’s twice as many as Alberta and British Columbia with 11 apiece. Saskatchewan is the only other province to have reported multiple OHS fines of $100,000 or more with two this year. Manitoba and Nunavut have each reported one such fine.

While Ontario imposes the most six-figure fines, British Columbia generates the most expensive one, accounting for three of the year’s four biggest OHS penalties. The other province where companies really don’t want to get fined is Alberta, which has handed out 11 six-figure fines, including seven of the top 12. Surprisingly perhaps, only two of the year’s top 12 OHS fines have come from Ontario. The only other jurisdiction that’s made the top 12 list is Nunavut at number 11.

Table 3. 6-Figures OHS Fines in 2026 By Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Reported 6-Figure OHS Fines in 2026
Ontario 22
British Columbia 11
Alberta 11
Saskatchewan 2
Nunavut 1
Manitoba 1

Source: Bongarde

Overall OHS Fines

Only four provinces reported OHS fines of $25,000 or more from mid-August to mid-September. Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario reported two apiece and Saskatchewan reported one. The WorkSafeBC volcano remained dormant for the second month in a row, with only two modest administrative monetary penalties of under $30,000 reported during the period.

Table 4. OHS Fines Reported August 15 to September 15, 2026 ($25,000 or more)

Jurisdiction Fine Company What Happened Violation(s) (all defendants found liable as an employer, unless otherwise indicated)
ON
$500,000
 Maple Lodge Farms Ltd. A hose carrying carbon dioxide (CO2) for cooling deli products during processing ruptures releasing approximately 16,072 pounds of CO2 causing injury to a worker in the deli area. Failure to have a CO2 sensor and alarm system in place.
AB
$318,000
 Arbutus Landscaping Inc. A worker on a roof replacement project gets killed after falling through the roof to the floor below. Failure, as prime contractor, to ensure effective coordination of fall protection.
AB $312,000 Birchcliff Energy Ltd. A worker collecting a water sample from an open reservoir used for fracking falls into the reservoir and suffers fatal injuries. Failure to:

*Implement a system, process, or procedures to ensure that water samples at open water reservoirs were collected safely.

*Provide surface ice water rescue training.

*Provide ice water rescue equipment.
SK
$130,000
 City of Prince Albert A municipal worker suffers serious injury after being struck by cement blocks that slid out of a dump box in a raised position. Failure to provide and maintain safe plant, systems of work, and working environments resulting in serious injury to a worker.
ON $50,000 Chudleigh's Ltd. A worker attempting to clear a blockage in a sugar silo suffers critical injury when the equipment unexpectedly moves. Failure to acquaint the worker with the hazards of accessing the valve at the base of the silo.
BC $29,809 Amacon Construction Ltd. WorkSafeBC inspectors observe multiple violations at a multi-employer apartment building construction site. Failure, as prime contractor, to ensure:

*Elevated work areas had guards or guardrails.

*Stairs had continuous handrails.

*Compressed gas cylinders were secured and kept upright.

*Points of access to confined spaces were secured against entry or identified by signage.

*Materials and equipment were placed and stored in a secure and stable manner.

*OHS activities were coordinated.

*A system of regulatory compliance was established and maintained.
BC $26,218 RR Roof Rider Ltd. WorkSafeBC inspectors observe a worker and supervisor on a 10:12 sloped roof without fall protection. Failure to:

* Ensure use of fall protection.

*Provide workers with the necessary safety information, instruction, training, and supervision.

*Have a fall protection plan on site.

Source: Bongarde