NewMex Canada Inc. directors sentenced to jail following worker's death

Sentence of 25 days in jail, to be served on weekends, for company directors who violated health and safety regulations resulting in an employee's death.

Brampton (16 Jan. 2015) — Two company officials of NewMex Canada Inc. have been fined $250,000 and sentenced to 25 days in jail after an Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation into the death of one of the company's employees in 2013.

Worker's death means jail time for company directors

The Ministry found that the company, based in Brampton, Ontario, was in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the province's Regulation 851, requiring workers to wear a safety harness. According to a ministry court bulletin, the worker was moving merchandise on a machine called an order picker, which is a combination of a forklift and an operator-up platform. The order picker also had an additional platform attached that was being supported by the forks, but it was missing a guard rail around it. The worker was also not wearing safety equipment. He was discovered on the floor and pronounced dead from blunt force trauma to the head. 

The Ministry also discovered that none of the employees at the warehouse had received health and safety training nor were they provided with fall-protection equipment. 

The company directors, Baldev Purba and Rajinder Saini, both pleaded guilty after being charged by the Ministry of Labour with failing to ensure the company complied with the Act and safety regulations. The company was fined and the directors will serve 25 days in jail on weekends. They will also be required to take a health and safety course in the next two months. 

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE