Court Imposes Substantial Fine for SafetyViolations
Evraz Inc. NA Canada, a major steel manufacturer, has beenhit with a significant $575,000 fine following a workplace incident that left aworker with serious injuries at its Regina facility in 2022. The companyentered a guilty plea in Regina provincial court on April 29, 2025, admittingto a violation of The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.According to provincial authorities, the specific infraction involved failingto "provide an effective safeguard when a worker may contact a dangerousmoving part of a machine," a breach of clause 10-4 (1)(a) of theregulations. The court's decision underscores the serious consequences forindustrial operators who fail to maintain adequate safety measures to protecttheir workforce.
Incident Details Reveal Dangerous WorkingConditions
The incident that prompted the regulatory action occurredwhen a worker was inspecting the underside of sheet metal as it wasmechanically moving through a metal slitting machine. This type of equipment,which cuts large rolls of sheet metal into narrower strips, involves multiplemoving parts operating at high speeds with significant force. Industry safetyexperts note that metal slitting operations present particular hazards,including pinch points, shearing forces, and the risk of entanglement, makingproper guarding and safety protocols essential. The worker's proximity to thesedangerous moving components without adequate safeguards resulted in the seriousinjuries that triggered the subsequent investigation and legal proceedings.
Financial Breakdown of the Penalty
The court-imposed penalty consists of two components: abase fine of $410,714.29 and a surcharge of $164,285.71, totaling $575,000.This substantial financial penalty reflects the severity of the safetyviolation and its consequences. Provincial authorities also noted that anadditional charge against Evraz was withdrawn as part of the legal proceedings,though specific details about this second charge were not disclosed. Thesignificant size of the fine aligns with a broader trend of increasing penaltiesfor workplace safety violations across Canada, particularly those resulting inserious worker injuries.
Regulatory Framework and ComplianceRequirements
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020, whichEvraz violated, establish clear requirements for employers to implement machineguarding and other safety measures to protect workers from moving machineryparts. Section 10-4 specifically addresses the obligation of employers toinstall effective safeguards when workers may come into contact with dangerousmoving parts. These regulations are designed to prevent precisely the type ofincident that occurred at the Evraz facility, highlighting the preventablenature of the worker's injuries. Safety experts emphasize that proper machineguarding, along with comprehensive training and supervision, forms thefoundation of industrial workplace safety programs.
Evraz's Corporate Profile and Safety Record
Evraz Inc. NA Canada, a subsidiary of the global steel andmining company Evraz, operates significant steel manufacturing facilities inRegina, Saskatchewan, as well as other locations across North America. Thecompany produces steel products for various sectors, including the energyindustry, construction, and railway infrastructure. Prior to this incident,Evraz had faced other regulatory challenges in Canada, including labor disputesand environmental concerns. This latest safety violation and substantial finemay prompt increased scrutiny of the company's operations and safety culturefrom both regulators and labor representatives.
Worker Safety Advocacy Response
Workplace safety advocates have responded to the Evraz fineby calling for stronger enforcement of existing regulations and more proactivesafety measures across the industrial sector. Representatives from labororganizations emphasize that financial penalties, while significant, come afterworkers have already suffered injuries that can have life-alteringconsequences. They argue that preventative measures, including more frequentinspections, stronger whistleblower protections, and industry-wide safety standards,are essential to reducing workplace injuries. The Evraz case highlights theongoing tension between production pressures and worker safety in industrialsettings, particularly in operations involving heavy machinery and high-speedprocessing equipment.
Key Takeaways:
* Evraz Inc. NA Canada has been fined $575,000 afterpleading guilty to failing to provide effective safeguards on dangerous movingmachinery parts, resulting in serious worker injuries at its Regina facility
* The incident occurred when a worker was inspecting sheetmetal moving through a metal slitting machine, highlighting the dangers ofinadequate machine guarding in metal processing operations
* The substantial penalty, consisting of a $410,714.29 basefine plus a $164,285.71 surcharge, reflects the growing regulatory emphasis onworkplace safety compliance in Canada's industrial sector
