REGINA — On Aug. 12, Ramage Land & Cattle Company Ltd. pleaded guilty in Regina Provincial Court to one violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.
The charges stemmed from an incident that occurred on Aug. 23, 2023, near Walpole. A worker drowned as a result of entering a dugout on horseback.
The company was charged with contravening clause 3-1(a) of the regulations (being an employer, fail to comply with the duties of an employer at a place of employment including the provision and maintenance of a plant, systems of work and working environments that ensure, as far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of the employer's workers, resulting in the death of a worker).
As a result, the Court imposed a fine of $17,857.14, along with a surcharge of $7,142.86, for a total amount of $25,000.
In addition, Ramage Land & Cattle Company Ltd. will be establishing a $4,500 scholarship through Canadian Western Agribition in honour of the deceased. Further, there will be two educational articles published, including:
- an article in the Western Producer detailing the case, the lesson learned, the steps taken and the resources available for the agricultural sector; and
- a legal article detailing the case, the charges and the resolution on the Law Society of Saskatchewan and Trial Lawyers Association websites.
The Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety works with employers and workers to eliminate workplace injuries and illnesses through education, intervention and enforcement.
