ROOFING CONTRACTOR CONVICTED OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY VIOLATION

A Saskatchewan roofing contractor has been convicted in provincial court in Regina of an offence under the provincial Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) Act and Regulations.

Dennis Tysowski, owner of Superior Roofing of Regina, was fined $600 for failure to ensure his workers wore protective headwear at a construction site.

Tysowski was placing roofing materials at a residential building site in Regina in April 2003 when he was advised by an Occupational Health Officer that hardhats must be worn at all times on construction sites. Tysowski refused to wear the required protective equipment or direct his workers to do so.

"Saskatchewan workplaces had 15,000 time-loss injuries last year," Occupational Health & Safety Division Executive Director Allan Walker said. "This conviction sends the message that flagrant disregard of OH&S regulations has consequences."

This was Tysowski's first conviction under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The maximum penalty under the Act for this type of offence is $10,000. Maximum penalties for an offence that causes the death or serious injury of a worker are $300,000 and two years in jail.

-30-

For More Information, Contact:

Allan Walker Labour Regina Phone: (306) 787-4481