Fines against Lakeland upheld

By Mark Nielsen
Prince George Citizen
January 2, 2018
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

A WorkSafeBC review officer has upheld a decision to impose nearly $725,000 in fines against Lakeland Mills over the April 2012 explosion and fire that killed two workers and destroyed the sawmill. Glenn Roche, 46, and Alan Little, 43, died from injuries suffered in the catastrophe and more than 20 workers were injured, the majority of them seriously. WorkSafeBC subsequently ordered Lakeland to pay a claims cost levy of $626,663.28 and an administrative penalty of $97,500, adding up to $724,163.28 in total. Lakeland appealed the levies but in a decision reached Dec.19, review officer Melina Lorenz denied its request to rescind or reduce the amounts. On the claims cost levy, Lorenz noted that the overall claims cost from the incident added up to more than $6 million. Moreover, 16 of the claims from the explosion met WorkSafeBC’s  definition of serious injury or death.

Read More