Alberta company fined $90K after worker severely burned in 2021 oil and gas site fire | CBC News
O’Reilly Oilfield Services Ltd. has been fined $90,000 after pleading guilty to one count of failing to protect the health and safety of workers under its supervision.
The sentence comes after one worker was severely burned by a fire on July 7, 2021, at an oil and gas site near Valleyview, in northwest Alberta.
The Alberta government says it happened when liquid from a decommissioned pipeline ignited and overflowed from a portable flare stack.
According to Occupational Health and Safety officials, a work crew was decommissioning a well site using a portable flare stack to burn off excess gas.
A disruption in the line sent fluid into the line and caused the fire. A worker positioned near the flare stack sustained serious burn injuries.
Charges were laid in September. The company was sentenced earlier this month in the Grande Prairie Court of Justice.
Crown prosecutors withdrew five other charges against the company.
The Crown also withdrew 15 occupational health and safety charges against Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. related to the same incident.
The $90,000 fine against O’Reilly Oilfield Services Ltd. includes a 20 per cent victim fine surcharge.
O’Reilly Oilfield Services and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.
