A food processing company has been ordered to pay $330,000 after pleading guilty in connection with a fatal workplace incident at its Edmonton facility.Sofina Foods Inc. entered a guilty plea on June 18 in the Edmonton Court of Justice to one count under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, admitting it failed to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The case stems from a March 2, 2023 incident in which a worker was found unconscious inside a smokehouse and later died.As part of a creative sentence, the company was ordered to spend the penalty amount to fund a training program through the Alberta Food Processors Association. The initiative will focus on safety in the food processing industry, with an emphasis on confined space protocols.Twenty-five other charges against the company were withdrawn by the Crown.Alberta’s OHS legislation allows for creative sentencing, which enables funds that would otherwise be paid as fines to be redirected to projects that promote workplace safety. Both Sofina Foods and the Crown have 30 days to appeal the conviction or the penalty.The province’s OHS laws establish safety standards for workplaces and outline employer responsibilities to protect workers. Charges may be laid when breaches of these rules lead to serious injuries or fatalities.
