First Community Service Sentence Imposed for an OHS Violation

At a residential construction site, a worker fell through an opening between joists, falling approximately 6.6 metres. He was paralyzed from the chest down as a result. The company that employed him pleaded guilty to an OHS violation. And for the first time in Alberta, it was sentenced to serve community service for this violation and pay a $10,000 fine. The Crown suggested community service because the company’s owner had retired and the company was no longer in business. A corporate representative will perform 200 hours of community service with Hearts and Hammers, a non-profit organization that provides home renovations to accommodate people with mobility challenges [Needoba Construction Ltd., Govt. News Release, Feb. 2, 2016].