60K fine for Wal-Mart’s safety failure

The retailer’s Canadian arm was found guilty of violating safety regulations which saw one worker seriously injured.

Wal-Mart Canada has been hit with a five-figure fine after being found guilty of safety violations which led to the injury of one employee.

The maintenance worker who typically performed janitorial tasks was asked to offload a pallet of paper onto a pall jack but as he was walking backwards, the man tripped on an empty pallet and fell.

The worker, who complained about an injury to his head and hand, called in sick the following day and never returned to work. He did in hospital two weeks after the incident.

After three days at trial, Wal-Mart Canada Corporation was found guilty of violating Section 11 of Regulation 851 (the Industrial Establishments Regulation), which states that a floor or other surface used by any worker shall be kept free of obstructions and hazards.

The judge released her decision on May 6, 2016 and imposed a fine of $60,000 on June 2, 2016.

In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

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