By Charlene Tebbutt

Site supervisor fined following workplace incident at gravel crushing pit

Sep 10, 2018 | 3:14 PM

Failure to follow safety protocols at a gravel crushing pit near Wakaw led to serious injuries for one man last year, and now, fines against the supervisor on shift at the time.

Bradley Davidson-Vermette was fined a total of $4,900 in Prince Albert Provincial Court Friday in connection with the workplace incident, which happened June 2, 2017. Davidson-Vermette, 28, pleaded guilty to one violation under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Davidson-Vermette was employed for nine years with the same company at the time of the incident, and was supervising operations at the site, located about seven kilometres outside Wakaw. The company was not charged in connection with the incident.

paNOW was in court Friday in Prince Albert during sentencing arguments in the case. Court heard that a worker on the gravel crushing crew was working at the site feeding gravel into the conveyor with a loader, when the machine was switched off and he was ordered to clear debris. While still up in the air on the conveyor, Davidson-Vermette started up the machine, failing to do a visual check and ensure the man had safely cleared the area.

Unable to get anyone’s attention once the machine started up and knowing that he was going to be pushed through the conveyor, prosecutor Buffy Rodgers said the man decided to go feet first, but caught his arm on a roller, breaking it, before continuing to travel through the machine. The momentum of the conveyor continued to push him through three more levels of the conveyor before he fell some 12 feet to the ground.

Lighting it up

P.A.'s Zablocki leads Regina to victory on Day 4 at Esso Cup

5h ago

WORLD SOFTBALL

Group stages officially set for Men's Softball World Cup in P.A.

11h ago

Safety first

Safety concerns and tips surrounding discarded needles in P.A.

Apr 23, 2024

Along with a broken arm, the man suffered a split pelvis, deflated lung, a C-1 spinal fracture and broken ribs. He spent 17 days in hospital following the incident, Rodgers said, and seven months off work.

Miraculously, he was able to return to work, and Rodgers said he continues to be good friends with Davidson-Vermette despite the workplace incident. Rodgers said workplace incidents are taken seriously, and asked for a fine totaling $10,500 in court last week.

“This is a situation where Mr. Davidson-Vermette simply didn’t follow the procedures that he was supposed to follow, that he was trained to follow,” she added.

Court heard Friday that Davidson-Vermette no longer works for the company. His defence lawyer, Brad Mitchell, said he parted ways with the company amicably following the incident, but struggled to find enough employment since then. Mitchell said Davidson-Vermette was operating his own tree cutting service but has trouble finding enough work.  

Mitchell argued for a lower amount in fines Friday, saying Davidson-Vermette also has a young family at home.

“This was a terrible accident involving one of his good friends,” Mitchell added.

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt