Town of St. Anthony sentenced for violation of
Occupational Health and Safety Act

On February 11, 2002, the Town of St. Anthony was fined $2,000 and ordered by the court to undertake several activities to enhance occupational health and safety awareness in the area after entering a guilty plea to a charge under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The Crown withdrew the remaining charges against the town and all charges against Rising Sun Developers Incorporated as part of an overall plea agreement.

Charges were laid against the town on August 27, 2001 for health and safety violations that occurred during the demolition of the Chaytor Building in St. Anthony which lead to the death of Michael Louis Gould on September 8, 2000. The town pled guilty to a violation of Section 4 of the act acknowledging their failure to protect the health and safety of workers.

Under the creative sentencing provision of the act, the Town of St. Anthony has been ordered to share details of their offence in an effort to prevent similar accidents in the future. The town, under the guidance of the Occupational Health and Safety Inspections Division, will carry out a number of awareness activities including the development and delivery of a presentation to the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Municipalities 2002 Municipal Leadership Forum, the construction of a safety oriented billboard in a prominent area of the town, publishing public service announcements in local newspapers on at least three occasions, funding the development of a general safety awareness program by a reputable safety consultant and funding the delivery of two two-day safety seminars by the consultant in St. Anthony. These seminars will be free of charge to the participants. The town has until December 31, 2002 to carry out all of these activities.

"I am pleased to see that the creative sentencing provision is once again being used to help send a strong message to all employers about their responsibilities to provide a safe workplace," said Minister Thistle. "The Occupational Health and Safety Division is committed to working with employers and workers in a collective effort to improve health and safety standards in the workplace. By requiring employers and workers to discuss real-life experiences it is hoped that it will have a very meaningful and long-lasting impact. The ultimate goal of all of the activities to be undertaken by the Town of St. Anthony is to prevent tragic occurrences like that which caused Mr. Gould�s death and to ensure safety is a priority on every job."

Media contact: Rebekah Winsor, Communications, (709) 729-1741.

2002 03 14                       12:45 p.m.