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2026 OHS Fines Scorecard (March 15 to April 15)

Through April 15, there have been 27 significant Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) fines of $25,000 or more reported in Canada in 2026, as compared to 48 at this time last year. That includes the 11 fines of this most recent reporting period of mid-March through mid-April.

It’s not just fine volume. Year-over-year fine amounts are also sharply down. Total reported fine amounts for the year currently stand at $2.624 million, less than one-third of the year-to-date total of $8.760 million through mid-April 2025. That amounts to an average fine of just $97,185, versus $182,500 after four reporting periods in 2025.

Table 1. OHS Fines in 2026 At A Glance (through April 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
YTD Total 27 10 $2.624 $97,185

Source: Bongarde

Six-Figure OHS Fines

Over the past three years, roughly 50% of all reported OHS significant fines have been $100,000 or more. But this year’s ratio is far below that level with only 10 of 27 reported fines in the six figures. The small sample size has led to significant fluctuation. Last month at this time, the ratio stood at nearly 60% with nine of the 16 significant OHS fines reported at $100,000 or more. This month, only one of the 11 reported fines was six figures, which dragged the ratio way down.

What remains stable is Ontario’s top position in terms of reporting the most six-figure fines of any province. Although no such fines were reported this month, seven of the reported six-figure fines this year have come from Ontario. However, the most expensive OHS fines continue to come from British Columbia, which issued eight of the Top 10 OHS Fines of our 2025 Scorecard, including positions 1 through 8. Sure enough, the two biggest reported OHS fines of 2026 are also from British Columbia.

Table 2. Top OHS Fines of 2026

Fine Amount Province Type of Company/Incident Result
1 $521,694 British Columbia Retailer fined for storage rack violations. No fatality or injury.
2 $182,282 British Columbia Petroleum refiner fined for fuel line unblocking operation hot oil spill. Serious injury to one worker.
3 $140,000 Ontario Construction contractor fined for excavations violation. Critical injury to one worker.
5 $140,000 Ontario Construction contractor fined for collapse of basement wall. Critical injury to one worker.
5 $135,000 Ontario Mining company fined for electrical cable removal mishap. Serious injury to one worker.
6 $130,000 Ontario Chemical plant fined for failing to provide safety training for hazardous operation. Serious injury to one worker.
6 $130,000 Ontario Construction forming contractor fined for separate roof collapse incidents. Minor injuries to multiple workers.

Source: Bongarde

The big surprise is that Alberta, a perennial leader in six-figure fines, still hasn’t reported any OHS fines of $100,000 or more in 2026. It’s only a matter of time before that changes.

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

Jurisdiction Reported 6-Figure OHS Fines in 2026
Ontario 7
British Columbia 2
Saskatchewan 1

Source: Bongarde

Overall OHS Fines

British Columbia accounted for six of the reported 11 significant OHS fines this month, including the biggest—a $182,282 administrative monetary penalty against a petroleum refiner for a hot oil spill release during an oil line unblocking operation. Ontario reported three significant OHS fines, while Alberta and Saskatchewan reported one apiece. Here’s a rundown of all significant OHS fines reported from mid-March to mid-April.

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

Jurisdiction Fine Company What Happened Violation(s) (all defendants found liable as an employer, unless otherwise indicated)
BC $182,282 Tidewater Midstream and Infrastructure Ltd. A refinery work suffers burn injuries after getting sprayed with hot oil during a fuel line blockage removal operation. Failure to: Implement safe work procedures, Perform a hazard assessment, Issue a hot work permit, Deploy standby person, Ensure use of required PPE
ON $80,000 Trade-Mark Industrial Inc. A maintenance worker gets injured after being hit by a pipe that falls during a furnace installation operation. Failure to ensure that every part of the project, including a temporary structure, was adequately braced to prevent any movement that could affect the pipe’s stability or cause its failure or collapse.
AB $70,000 Cold Lake First Nations Casino Corporation A casino worker suffers serious injuries after being struck and pinned by falling lockers. Failure to eliminate or control a hazard that it identified during a hazard assessment (that the lockers weren’t adequately secured).
BC $67,435 Unnamed countertop production company A 22-year-old worker suffers a partial amputation of two fingers while operating a table saw. Failure to provide adequate safety instruction, training, information and supervision.
ON $60,000 Hendrik Jan Van Ginkel Construction A dairy farm worker is killed after falling from the roof of a barn under construction. Failure to ensure the worker used fall protection when at risk of falling more than three metres.
BC $55,119 Mainstreet Equity Corp. WorkSafeBC inspectors observe asbestos containing materials in uncontained bins and on the floors of an apartment building from which a boiler had just been removed. Failure to ensure a qualified person inspected the workplace for hazardous materials before renovation work began.
ON $50,000 Grosnor Industries Inc. A temporary agency worker is critically injured while changing dies on an unguarded punch press machine. Failure to ensure the machine was equipped with a guard to prevent access to the exposed moving part.
BC $44,294 Postle Construction Inc. WorkSafeBC inspectors observe missing and inadequate guardrails at residential construction worksite. Failure to ensure raised areas accessible to workers had guards or guardrails, a repeat violation.
BC $42,590 Gform Enterprises Ltd. A fly form table was being moved between floors when two plywood filler pieces became dislodged and fell, one of which hit a worker 10 storeys below. Failure to ensure use of an effective means of restraint to secure objects from falling and endangering workers.
SK $40,000 Valley Meat Processors Inc. A meat processing worker suffers serious injuries while handling a rifle that accidentally discharges. Failure to provide workers safety information, instruction, training, and supervision.
BC $34,265 SAM Enterprises Ltd. WorkSafeBC imposes a fine and stop-use order after observing a tractor without a rollover protective structure (ROPs) at a farm. Failure to ensure its mobile equipment was used with a ROPS.

Source: Bongarde