OHS Fines Scorecard (August 15 to September 15)

There were only 8 reported OHS fines of $25,000 and over across Canada from mid-August to mid-September, the lowest of any 4-week period this year. The lull is likely a blip that’s due more to the summer slowdown in fine reporting rather than actual enforcement activity. Based on previous year’s patterns, we expect to see a surge in reported fine volumes during the autumn months to make up for the summer lag.    

Fine amounts were also down at $1,170,446. This is, by far, the lowest 4-week total of 2025, and nearly $400,000 behind the previous low of $1.565 million in May to June. The average fine amount for the period was $146,306, which is in the middle of the pack for 2025 monthly averages. However, that average was significantly inflated by a single high outlier fine from BC. The other 7 reported fines during the period were significantly below the overall yearly fine average of $169,293.   

Table 1. OHS Fines in 2025 At A Glance

Period Total Reported Fines Reported 6-Figure Fines Total Fines Value (in millions of dollars)  Average Fine Amount 
To mid-Jan 7 1 $0.684  $97,714 
Mid-Jan to mid-Feb 20 14 $3.689  $184,450 
Mid-Feb to mid-March 9 5 $2.361  $263,300 
Mid-March to mid-April  12 5 $2.029  $169,083 
Mid-April to mid-May  20 6 $2,918 $145,900
Mid-May to mid-June  13 6 $1.565  $120,385 
Mid-June to mid-July  18 13 $4, 081 $226,722
Mid-July to mid-August  14  7  $1,986 $141,864
Mid-Aug to mid-Sept  8 2 $1,170 $146,293
YTD Total 121 59 $20, 484 $169, 293

Source: Bongarde

6-Figure OHS Fines  

Roughly half of all significant OHS fines reported in 2025 have totaled $100,000 or more. But only 2 of the 8 reported significant OHS fines from mid-August to mid-September were in the 6-figure range.  Still, one of those fines is the fifth highest total for the entire year—$674,445 against a BC cement plant for a series of high-risk violations stemming from a fatal injury to a worker struck by debris from a large fan that failed after having been refitted just 5 months earlier. 

BC continues to lead Canada for highest OHS fines, accounting for 6 of the year’s Top 10 including numbers 1 through 5. Alberta is the next best represented province with 2 of the Top 10. While Ontario imposes the most OHS fines of any province, only one of those has cracked the Top 10. Saskatchewan is the only other province to have reported a Top 10 OHS fine in 2025.  

Table 2. Top 10 OHS Fines of 2025 (through September 15)

Fine Amount Province Type of Company/Incident Result
1 $783,068  BC  Long-term care facility fined for high-risk asbestos violations including failure to implement an exposure control plan.  No fatality or injury. 
1 $783,068  BC  Provincial Government/High-Risk violations for using untrained and unqualified traffic controllers at music festival site.  No fatality or injury. 
1 $783,068  BC  Multiple storage rack violations at 2 Walmart stores.  No fatality or injury. 
4 $710,000  BC  Electrical, lockout, and machine guarding violations at mining company sites.  2 subcontractor workers seriously injured. 
5 $674,445  BC  Cement plant didn’t get professional engineer to certify safety of equipment that had been dismantled and refitted.   Fatality. 
6 $600,000  Ontario  Construction contractor fined for allowing workers to use dangerous and improper crane procedures.  Fatality. 
7 $575,000  Saskatchewan  Machine guarding violation by steel parts manufacturer.  Serious injury to 1 worker. 
8 $500,000  Alberta  Hot work and OHS program violations by prime contractor resulting in welding explosion at energy site.  2 workers killed. 
9 $495,000  Alberta  Crane rigging violation by energy company.  Fatality
10 $489,104  BC   Pulp mill fined for machine guarding violation.  Fatality. 

Source: Bongarde 

BC and Ontario were the only provinces to report a 6-figure OHS fine in the mid-August to mid-September period with just one apiece. Despite having only one of the year’s Top 10, Ontario has imposed the most total 6-figure fines for the entire year with 23, which is well ahead of second place Alberta at 17. BC is close behind with 16. Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia are the only other provinces that have reported OHS fines in the 6 figures in 2025. Of course, we can’t account for the other jurisdictions such as Québec where we know OHS enforcement is robust but fines aren’t publicly reported.  

Table 3. 6-Figures OHS Fines in 2025 By Jurisdiction (through September 15) 

Jurisdiction Reported 6-Figure Fines in 2025
1 Ontario  23
2 Alberta  17
3 British Columbia 16
4 Saskatchewan  2
5 Nova Scotia 1

Source: Bongarde

Overall OHS Fines 

For the second month in a row, Ontario did not report the most significant OHS fines during the recent period. As it did last month, BC was the leader with 3. The Ontario Ministry of Labour reported only 2 OHS fines in mid-August to mid-September. It’s almost impossible to believe that fine volume in Ontario won’t pick up significantly in the fall. Québec, which doesn’t report its OHS fines, was still represented this month thanks to a reported court ruling involving an OHS fine. Alberta and Saskatchewan accounted for the other reported OHS fines during the period. Here’s a breakdown of all the significant OHS fines from the period.  

Table 4. OHS Fines Reported August 15 to September 15, 2025* ($25,000 or more)

Jurisdiction Fine Company What Happened Violation(s)
BC $674,445  Lafarge Canada Inc.  Cement factory worker killed after getting hit by debris from the housing of a large fan that failed after having been refitted 5 months earlier.   Failure to ensure that: 

  • The installation, inspection, testing, and repair of equipment was done by a manufacturer or professional engineer. 
  • Equipment that was dismantled and re-assembled was checked by a qualified person and determined to be safe before operation. 
  • Provide workers with necessary safety information, instruction, training, and supervision.  
ON $144,000  Metex Heat Treating Ltd.  Two workers suffer serious injury in a flash fire that occurs while they’re re-starting a furnace that had been shut down for several weeks; only one of the victims was wearing flame-resistant coveralls.  Failure to provide adequate protective clothing to all workers engaged in furnace operations.  
AB  $90,000  Steele Tech Fabrication Inc.  A side of a 24-foot steel I-beam weighing approximately 3300 pounds being moved by a telehandler slides off the forks and falls on a worker causing serious injuries.  Failure to ensure use of safe rigging procedures.  
BC  $87,148  Regehr Contracting Ltd./Regehr Excavating  Construction site excavator strikes a gas line, resulting in a gas leak and the evacuation of a nearby school.   Failure to ensure that it accurately determined the location of all underground utility services before excavating with powered equipment, a repeat violation. 
BC  $59,755  Marcon Metalfab Inc.  The rigging of a tower crane lifting a load of joists at a high-rise construction site fails, causing the joists to fall and damage property.   Firm that supplied and was installing steel joists failed to:  

  • Ensure that joists were adequately rigged for the lift.  
  • Ensure workers and supervisors were trained in safe rigging requirements. 
  • Provide workers necessary safety information, instruction, training, and supervision. 
ON  $55,000  NuStef Baking Ltd.  Worker reaches below an industrial oven in operation to adjust the speed of the batter depositor and suffers serious injuries.  Failure to ensure that the industrial oven was properly guarded. 
QC**  $35,000  Entreprises Michaudville Inc.  Road signal man at a construction site is killed after getting hit head-on by a vehicle traveling at roughly 80 km/hour.  Failure to ensure the use of safe traffic control procedures. 
BC   $25,098  Altima Contracting Ltd.  Construction worker on stilts falls about 15.8 m (52 ft.) through a window opening and suffers serious injuries.   Failure to ensure that: 

  • The guardrail on the window was adequately secured. 
  • Other fall protection was in place. 
  • Material was placed in a stable and secure manner. 
  • Workers received necessary safety information, instruction, training, and supervision. 
SK  $25,000  Ramage Land & Cattle Company Ltd.  Worker on horseback enters a dugout and drowns when the horse slips and throws the rider into the water.  Failure to provide and maintain a plant, systems of work and working environments that ensures workers’ health and safety resulting in a worker’s death. 

* BC OHS fines get reported a month late but are included in the most recent period to ensure continuity and consistency for comparison purposes across all provinces. 

** Penalties imposed after a trial rather than a guilty plea or as an Administrative Monetary Penalty. 

Source: Bongarde