U of M fined for workplace accident

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This article was published 09/05/2017 (3104 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The University of Manitoba has been fined $13,000 after pleading guilty last month to failing to ensure a safe working environment.

The fine was for violating the Workplace Safety and Health Act in connection with an August 2014 incident that left an employee severely injured.

The injured worker fell through an opening left by access panels that had been removed in order to lower a 2,200-pound spool of wire into the basement of a building on the university’s Fort Garry campus. The person’s fall occurred at a time the workers who had removed the panels had left the area.

No details were provided as to the extent of the person’s injuries or how his or her recovery has gone in the years since, but a release from the province described them as “serious.” The worker fell about five metres to the ground below. A guardrail system should have been in place in order to ensure safety, the release said.

At some point since the incident, the individual returned to work, according to University of Manitoba’s executive director of public affairs John Danakas, although for privacy reasons he said he could not disclose when.

“It’s always unfortunate when there are workplace incidents,” Danakas said.

“The university is committed to workplace safety and health and constantly improving procedures and protocols,” he said. “We’re pleased the individual is back at work.”