Worker Dies While Cutting Grass Due to Defective Seatbelt

As a worker was operating a sit-down lawnmower on a sloped lawn area leading down to a wall at the edge of a river, he was fatally injured in an incident. An investigation determined that the mower’s seatbelt assembly didn’t operate as intended and wouldn’t lock into place as required. In addition, the mower’s roll-over protective structure wasn’t properly secured and so offered no protection. His employer pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the seatbelt restraining device was maintained so as to operate as intended and fined $150,000 [Enbridge Gas Distribution Ltd., Govt. News Release, Nov. 20, 2013].