Yellowknife, NT (July 30, 2024) – On Friday, July 26, 2024, SMS Equipment Ltd. appeared in the Northwest Territories’ Territorial Court in Yellowknife and entered a guilty plea to one offence under the Northwest Territories’ Safety Act.SMS Equipment Ltd. pleaded guilty to Count #1:
- failing to maintain their establishment in such a manner that the health and safety of persons in the establishment are not likely to be endangered.
The company has been issued a fine in the amount $200,000 to be paid to the Workers’ Protection Fund.
The charges stem from an incident in which a worker was fatally injured on September 1, 2022, at the Gahcho Kue Mine, 280km northeast of Yellowknife. The worker was inspecting and testing the ladder hydraulics on a haul truck boarding ladder and was pinned by moving parts. There were no hazard recognition or warning signs of a pinch point, and SMS did not conduct its own workplace safety inspection of the haul truck. Despite life-saving efforts, the worker died from their injuries.
On August 25, 2023, following an investigation, the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC) originally filed seven charges against SMS Equipment Ltd., in violation of both the Safety Act and the Mine Health and Safety Act. However, pursuant to the plea agreement, the remaining charges were stayed.
Shannon Moore
Communications Officer
T: (867) 920-3864
