Company penalized following workplace injury near Entwistle

ALBERTA -- A sand and gravel supplier has been fined $150,000 after an investigation into a serious workplace injury.

According to the province, McLeod Valley Sand and Gravel, as an employer, pleaded guilty on August 25, 2025, to one count under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker. The Crown withdrew 14 other counts, as well as all 17 counts against JRF Oilfield Services Ltd. related to the same incident.

The incident occurred on June 29, 2023, at a construction site near Entwistle. The province says a worker became entangled in a roller that formed part of a conveyer's drive system and suffered serious injuries.

On October 20, under a creative sentence, the court ordered McLeod Valley Sand and Gravel to pay $150,000 to the Alberta Sand and Gravel Association to develop three interactive online safety training modules. This comes as the OHS Act provides a creative sentence option in which funds that would otherwise be paid as fines are directed to an organization or project to improve or promote workplace health and safety.

Both the company and the Crown have up to 30 days to appeal the conviction or penalties.