The University of Calgary is leading a $1.24M research initiative focused on improving workplace safety in mining and construction. The funds were provided to UCalgary through Alberta’s creative sentencing provision after employers and contractors were fined $1.24M in relation to the death of Brandon Nelson during maintenance work at an oilsands site. Under Alberta’s creative sentencing provisions, courts can direct fines from workplace safety convictions toward prevention-focused initiatives instead of the province’s general revenue. In this case, the funds will support a project led by UCalgary Professor Thomas O’Neill, in partnership with researchers at Mount Royal University and the University of Alberta, which will study the psychological and organizational factors behind workplace safety and develop an Alberta-based rigging and hoisting competency standard. “We hope to make some good out of this tragedy and do right by Brandon’s family and friends,” said O’Neill.
