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2026 OHS Fines Scorecard (April 15 to May 15)

Fine volume continues to lag on a year-to-basis. From April 15 to May 15, there were 11 significant Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) fines of $25,000 or more reported in Canada. Four reporting periods into the year, there have been 38 such fines, as compared to 68 through the same period in 2025.

Fine amounts rebounded to something approaching more normal levels during the period. Total fine dollars for the month were just a shade under $1.4 million, the second highest of the year. The average fine amount for the period was $127,100, nearly double the $66,000 average of last month. But that’s still a far cry from 2025 when after four reporting periods total OHS fine dollars stood at $11.678 with an average fine of $171,735.

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
Mid-April to Mid-May 11 5 $1.398 $127,100
YTD Total 38 15 $4.022 $105,845

Source: Bongarde

Six-Figure OHS Fines

Historically, roughly half of all the significant OHS fines governments report in the press are for $100,000 or more. This year’s ratio remains below these long-term patterns. Thus, five of the 11 significant fines reported this month were in the six figures. Of the year’s 38 reported fines, only 15 have been six-figure amounts.

British Columbia accounted for three of this month’s six-figure fines, including the second highest fine of the year—a $460,000 penalty against an excavating firm for an incident in which a retaining wall collapsed and fell into a trench, killing one worker and seriously injuring another. But that case is an outlier to the extent that it was handed down by a judge after a trial finding the company guilty of two counts of C-45 criminal negligence. By contrast, the vast majority of OHS fines reported in BC are administrative monetary penalties handed out by WorkSafeBC without a trial.

Overall, BC continues to hand out the biggest OHS fines in Canada, accounting for four of the five top fines of 2026.

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 $460,000 British Columbia Excavation contractor fined for criminal negligence resulting in collapse of retaining wall into a trench. Fatal injury to one worker killed and serious injury to another.
3 $185,000 Ontario Tool manufacturer fined for failing to lockout automated machine before it was repaired. Fatal injury to one worker.
4 $182,282 British Columbia Petroleum refiner fined for fuel line unblocking operation hot oil spill. Serious injury to one worker.
5 $169,632 British Columbia Municipality fined as prime contractor for confined space lifting incident. Serious injury to one worker.
6 $164,189 British Columbia Crane supplier and operator firm fined for not equipping crane with required safety device, No fatality or injury.
7 $140,000 Ontario Construction forming contractor fined for separate roof collapse incidents. Minor injuries to multiple workers.
8 $140,000 Ontario Construction contractor fined for collapse of basement wall. Critical injury to one worker.
9 $135,000 Ontario Mining company fined for electrical cable removal mishap. Serious injury to one worker.
10 $130,000 Ontario Chemical plant fined for failing to provide safety training for hazardous operation. Serious injury to one worker.
11 $130,000 Ontario Construction forming contractor fined for separate roof collapse incidents. Minor injuries to multiple workers.

Source: Bongarde

The other two six-figure OHS fines during the period came from Ontario and Manitoba. Consistent with historic patterns, Ontario has generated the most six-figure fines of any province, accounting for eight of the 15 reported in 2026. The discrepancy in year-over-year fine dollar amounts (and to some degree, fine numbers) that we discussed above is attributable largely to Alberta. A perennial leader in six-figure fines, Alberta has yet to report a single OHS fine of $100,000 or more in 2026. Why the Alberta volcano has been so uncharacteristically dormant remains a mystery.

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

Jurisdiction Reported 6-Figure OHS Fines in 2026
Ontario 8
British Columbia 5
Saskatchewan 1
Manitoba 1

Source: Bongarde

Overall OHS Fines

British Columbia accounted for seven of the 11 significant OHS fines reported this month. Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan reported one fine apiece during the period.

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 $460,000* J. Cote and Son Excavating Ltd. A retaining wall collapses and falls into a trench killing one worker and seriously injuring another. Criminal negligence under Bill C-45.
ON $185,000 Integrity Tool and Mold Inc. A worker is killed while repairing a Computer Numerical Counter machine that was in automatic mode and neither powered off nor locked out. Failure to ensure that machinery is de-energized and locked out before it’s serviced.
BC $169,632 Metro Vancouver Regional District A worker inside a chamber (a confined space) using pry bars to help a crane truck lift gearboxes suffers serious injury when the gearbox releases and lifts forcefully upward. Failure, as prime contractor, to:

* Ensure OHS activities were coordinated.

*Develop written procedures to minimize confined space hazards.

* Ensure an adequately trained supervisor was in place before workers entered a confined space.

*Ensure workers were adequately trained in confined space hazards.
BC $164,189 M.R. Crane Service Ltd. WorkSafeBC inspectors at construction site observe a crane without a required device to keep the crane from contacting adjacent high-voltage conductors. Failure as the supplier and operator of the crane to ensure that it was equipped with a zone-limiting device that prevented the crane from operating within the minimum approach distance of exposed electrical equipment.
MB $100,000 Manitoba Dept. of Natural Resources and Indigenous Futures, Wildfire Service A firefighting worker operating an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is killed after the vehicle rolls over. Failure to:

*Train the worker.

*Ensure the worker followed safe work procedures.

*Ensure that workers who operate ATVs use proper headwear protection.
NB $75,000 New Brunswick Power Corporation Two powerline technicians restoring power after a storm fall approximately 15.8 metres when a transmission pole fails; one worker dies and the other is seriously injured Failure to prepare written first aid written for transporting injured workers from the work site to the nearest health care facility.
SK $70,000 Hundseth Power Line Construction A power line worker gets injured while working on a power pole. Failure to provide required safety information, instruction, training, and supervision resulting in serious injury to a worker.
BC $69,280 Norelco Cabinets Ltd. WorkSafeBC inspectors observe multiple deficiencies with cabinet manufacturing plant’s storage racks including damaged and twisted uprights and missing bolts and anchors. Failure to:

*Ensure storage racks were capable of safely supporting items stored on them.

*Have a qualified person regularly inspect the storage racks for damage.

*Ensure the rated capacity of storage racks was clearly posted.

*Ensure that manufacturer or engineer instructions for loading, unloading, and maintaining the racks were available to workers.
BC $41,236 Omicron Construction Ltd. A construction worker is seriously injured after getting hit by a sheet of cement fibreboard that falls while a subcontractor is doing exterior cladding work. Failure as prime contractor to:

*Ensure OHS activities were coordinated.

*Ensure that work creating risk of falling objects was effectively isolated from the rest of the worksite.

*Confirm the subcontractor's work was done by properly supervised workers following safe work procedures.
BC $33,838 City of Revelstoke WorkSafeBC inspectors at municipal water treatment plant observe deficiencies related to chlorine handling procedures. Failure to:

*Ensure respirator fit tests were conducted annually.

*Develop, implement, and annually review an exposure control plan.

*Ensure pipes containing hazardous materials were adequately labelled.

*Provide workers required safety information, instruction, training, and supervision.
BC $30,000 QKD Construction Ltd. During a follow-up inspection WorkSafeBC inspectors cite a prime contractor for carrying out work in defiance of a stop work order. Failure, as prime contractor to:

*Appoint a qualified coordinator for overlapping work activities.

*Ensure excavation work was done in accordance with the written instructions of a qualified registered professional.

*Comply with a WorkSafeBC order.

* Company convicted by a judge after a criminal trial

Source: Bongarde