A Saskatchewan city has pleaded guilty and accepted a fine and surcharge of nearly $130,000 stemming from an accident where a worker was struck by concrete blocks. A news release from the City of Prince Albert says the municipality pleaded guilty in provincial court for violating the Saskatchewan Health and Safety Act, but the release doesn’t say what injuries the worker suffered, nor does it say what the charges were. The city says the worker was greasing the rear box of a dump truck in July 2024 when the accident happened. It says that to facilitate the work, the box needed to be raised, and while that was happening, two concrete blocks stored in the back of the truck slid rearward and struck the worker. Don Wood, the city’s health and safety coordinator, says in the news release that following the incident, the city undertook a comprehensive review of its safety practices and implemented additional safeguards. Wood was not available to answer questions about the case on Friday, and the city did not have anyone immediately available to speak about it. “While we cannot change what occurred, we can learn from it and take meaningful steps to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Wood said in the city’s news release, which was issued late Thursday. “The improvements implemented since this incident have strengthened our safety practices, accountability measures, and oversight processes.” The release said the city accepted a fine of $92,857 and will also be responsible for a court surcharge of $37,142. The accident occurred just a few months after the city pleaded guilty in provincial court to another occupational health and safety violation, in connection with an incident on Sept. 22, 2022. In that case, the province said a worker was seriously injured when they fell a distance greater than three metres while attempting to dislodge a hose nozzle. The city was fined nearly $68,000 with a surcharge of just over $27,000 for failing to ensure that workers use a fall protection system. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2026.
