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Guilty plea in on-job Recreation Centre injury

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An Alberta-based environmental consultant company charged with violating safety laws following a 2016 workplace injury in Hay River, plead guilty to one of six charges brought against them in NWT Territorial Court Tuesday.

Arctic Environmental Services Ltd, and president Robert Valleau plead guilty to failing to provide the “information, instruction training and supervision that is necessary to protect the health and safety of workers.” Specifically, the count to which the accused plead guilty to says the employers failed to provide “instruction not to use a scissor-lift without being trained ...”

On July 26, 2016 an employee operating a scissor-lift was injured during the demolition of Hay River's Don Stewart Recreation Centre.

Arctic Environmental Services Ltd., and Valleau face five other charges under the Safety Act, including failing to “provide an occupational health and safety program that included an identification of hazards that could endanger workers at a worksite, specifically scissor-lifts,” and failing to “ensure that all supervisors had sufficient knowledge of any occupational health and safety program applicable to workers supervised at the worksite.”

For the sixth charge, “failing to ensure that work was sufficiently and competently supervised,” Yellowknife Clark Builders is also charged.

On Tuesday, the Crown indicated numerous charges would be withdrawn following conviction on count one.

The accused will appear in Yellowknife court on May 8 for a facts and sentencing hearing.