Suncor Pays C$390K Penalty For Worker Death: Details

The Alberta government said Suncor Energy Inc‘s SU majority-owned oil sands producer Syncrude Canada will pay C$390,000 after pleading guilty to one charge under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) for failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker.

The charges stem from an incident near Fort McKay on June 6, 2021. A worker was operating an excavator to build a berm when the bank the excavator was on slumped into water. The excavator cab became submerged and the worker drowned.

In particular, Suncor will pay C$390,000 to the David and Joan Lynch School of Engineering Safety and Risk Management, the UAlberta Geotechnical Centre and the Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association.

On April 4, Syncrude Canada pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker, while four other charges brought under the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act were withdrawn.

Notably, it was one of five deaths at oil sands sites run by Suncor, Canada’s second-largest oil producer, between late 2020 and mid-2022, reported Reuters.

As per the report, the fatalities contributed to pressure from U.S.-based activist investment firm Elliot to overhaul management and operations at Suncor, and prompted the resignation of former CEO Mark Little.

As per the report, Suncor spokeswoman Sneh Seetal said, “That matter is now before the courts, and we are going to review the charges and determine the next steps,” adding that there had been a thorough investigation following the fatality.

In the company’s annual report, CEO Rich Kruger said there had been no deaths or life-threatening injuries in 2023, and its year-over-year lost-time injuries were down nearly 50% in 2023.

Price Action: SU shares are down 0.49% at $38.51 premarket on the last check Tuesday.

Photo: Courtesy of Satur via Shutterstock