Yesterday, the Province of Manitoba announced that a Carberry employer has been fined $48,050 for failing to live up to its workplace safety responsibilities.

The fine stemmed from serious injuries sustained by a 15 year old worker on Sept. 18, 2010. The worker at ShellMark Farms in Carberry was injured on the job when he tried to straddle a moving conveyor belt and fell. The belt pulled the worker under a metal brace for the conveyor’s electric motor, leading to a number of broken bones and internal injuries. The company failed to provide a system for workers to safely access either side of the conveyor belt.

The announcement of this fine is part of a new provincial policy of providing more information to the public about workplace safety enforcement efforts. Jennifer Howard, the Minster of Family Services and Labour announced this new policy at the recent MFL convention.