Alberta company to pay $350K penalty for 2021 worker death

An Alberta company will pay a $350,000 fine after one of its workers died south of Edmonton in 2021.

Sonic Coating Solutions Inc., an industrial painting and coating company, pleaded guilty on May 22 to failing to ensure the health and safety of a worker at a job site in Leduc, Alta.

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) previously said four workers were moving pipe from an abrasive blasting building to a paint shop on Oct. 30, 2021, when asection of pipe fell off a loader. It struck Realvin Perolina, 54, fatally injuring him.

Perolina was originally from the Philippines. His obituary says he was married and had three children.

Alberta OHS initially laid 14 charges against the companyunder the OHS Act. But this week, the Crown withdrew all but one.

The $350,000 fine includes a victim fine surcharge, according to a statement from OHS.

The Crown and the company have 30 days to file an appeal.

Perolina is among the 178 people killed in workplace-related incidents in Alberta in 2021.

Last year, 165 Alberta workers died due to their employment, according to the Workers' Compensation Board.