This week’s Alberta OHS news carries the same practical message: maintenance and non-routine work are not automatically low-risk.
As reported by stalbertgazette.com, Alberta Occupational Health and Safety has charged two energy companies and a site supervisor with nearly 30 counts after a September 30, 2024 explosion and fire at a work site north of Cochrane. A service rig crew was on site when the fire broke out, leaving five workers seriously injured. The number of charges alone suggests investigators found gaps across planning, procedures, and supervision rather than one isolated mistake.
A second file comes from Red Deer. As reported by CBC News and Canadian Occupational Safety, Prairie Bus Lines Ltd. faces ten charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a January 9, 2025 explosion at its maintenance terminal injured five workers with burns. The charges allege that workers repaired a propane-powered bus indoors with ignition sources nearby; that the mechanic had not been trained to access and shut off the fuel shutoff valve; that no hazard assessment was completed before the work began; that manufacturer specifications were not readily available; and that flame-resistant outerwear was not provided.
The same risk pattern appears in a third, still-developing case. As reported by CBC News, a maintenance worker was injured this week when a small tour bus rolled down a hill during an operational maintenance check on a glacier access road at the Columbia Icefield. The worker was alone in the vehicle, and Alberta OHS has taken over the investigation.
The common thread is not one industry—it is the point at which work leaves the normal production routine. Maintenance, repair, cleaning, and operational checks bring live energy into play: propane and other fuels, moving vehicles, stored pressure, and ignition sources. For Alberta construction and trades employers, the same hazards show up when a crew services a propane-fuelled truck, pressure washer, generator, or shop equipment.
The takeaway is concrete. Before maintenance begins, complete a **written