Company penalized for a workplace fatality

Birchcliff Energy Ltd., as an employer, pleaded guilty on Aug. 14 in the Grande Prairie Court of Justice to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. All remaining charges against Birchcliff Energy Ltd. were withdrawn.The charges stem from an incident that occurred Oct. 10, 2023, at an oil and gas site west of Spirit River. A worker died after falling into a reservoir while obtaining water samples.Under a creative senten