Dean Horn passed away on Jan. 26, 2022. (Beau Lac Funeral Home)

By Nigel Maxwell

Court proceedings

Former Sask. Stockyards Company fined $250K for fatal workplace incident

May 16, 2024 | 4:00 PM

Spiritwood Stockyards has been fined a total of $325,000 for two workplace related incidents, including one that resulted in a man’s death.

The case was heard on Tuesday at Spiritwood Provincial Court. A guilty plea was entered to sect. 7.- 6(1) which states that if there is a risk of injury to the head of a worker, an employer or contractor shall provide approved industrial protective headwear and require a worker to use it.

On Nov. 11, 2021, a worker was struck by a gate and seriously injured while attempting to load bulls onto a trailer. For this offence, the company was fined $75,000.

The second incident occurred on January 26, 2022, where a worker was fatally injured while attempting to clear snow off a roof when the worker fell through a fiberglass skylight.

With respect to the more serious of the two offences, the one that involved a worker’s death, a guilty plea was entered to sect. 9-2 (2). This requires the employer or contractor to ensure that workers use a fall protection system at a temporary or permanent work area if a worker may fall three metres or more; or there is a possibility of injury if a worker falls less than three metres. For this offence, the company was fined $250,000.

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Dean Horn, 47, passed away on Jan. 26, 2022. He leaves behind a wife and three daughters.

According to his obituary, Horn grew up near Mildred, and attended Lakeland College in Vermilion to study Livestock Production.

In addition to being a huge member in the cattle industry family and within different stockyards around the province, Horn was also an active member of 4H as a leader, judge and mentor. He also loved sports with softball and slow pitch being his favourite to play.

“No matter what Dean was involved in he gave it his all. He made everyone laugh until they cried and cared for everyone he met,” the family wrote.

Not long after the charge was laid, Spiritwood Stockyards was shut down. paNOW attempted to contact the former owner for comment, but he declined.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @nigelmaxwell