National Steel Car fined $140K for worker death in 2021

National Steel Car has been fined$140,000 after one of its workersdied on the job in 2021.

The rail car marker pleaded guilty on July 20 after the province's ministry of labour said it failed to maintain safe working conditions, leadingto the death of Collin Grayley.

It saidcompanymust also pay a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which helps victims of crime.

The ministrylaid out the details of the case in a news release on Wednesday.

Grayley diedon April 23, 2021 while painting a rail car with a colleague. Heentered a personnel lift and leaned out of the lift to paint the rail car, according to the ministry.

His colleague had left andfoundGrayleywhen they returned.

A provincial investigation found the lift didn't have a working safety release mechanism.

"National Steel Car Limited failed to maintain in good condition the safety release button inside the personnel lift," reads the press release.

The province says the rail car makerimplemented preventative measures anda safety checklist which now requires employees to writewhether personnel lifts are fully operational and safe to useat the beginning of every shift.

A third-party cleaningcompany was also hired toclean and remove paint from the personnel lifts between every shift and every rail car manufactured.

Two other workers have died at National Steel Car in recent years: Quoc Le and Fraser Cowan.

Employees have also been on strike sinceJune 29, calling for better pay and safer work conditions.