Canadian electrical and industrial distributor Guillevin International Co. has been charged with eight workplace safety violations in connection with an October 2024 incident that killed a worker at an Edmonton, Alberta, facility.

Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) filed the charges Oct. 14, nearly two years after the Oct. 21, 2024 incident.

According to provincial authorities, the worker was testing a cylinder for leaks using high-pressure nitrogen gas when an end cap ejected from the cylinder and struck the worker, causing fatal injuries.

The eight charges under Alberta’s Occupational Health and Safety Act and OHS Code allege that Guillevin failed to adequately protect the worker from several hazards, including:

• Failing to protect the worker from being struck by a projected object.
• Failing to install a guard or cage on a pressurized cylinder rod.
• Allowing the worker to remain in the potential path of a projected object.
• Failing to equip the cylinder with a pressure gauge and pressure-release valve.
• Failing to implement appropriate engineering controls to eliminate or mitigate hazards.

Two additional charges concern alleged failures to ensure compliance with worker duties under provincial safety regulations.

The incident occurred at Gir Del Hydraulic Services, an Edmonton-based hydraulic equipment distributor and repair provider that has operated as a division of Guillevin since 1989.

“This was a tragic accident, and as we mark the second anniversary this week, our thoughts remain with our colleague’s family and co-workers,” Guillevin officials said in a Oct. 23 statement to CBC News. “We have co-operated fully with the Occupational Health and Safety authorities since the accident and will continue to do so. Out of respect for the family and everyone affected by this tragedy, we will not be providing further comment.”

Gir Del, founded in 1973, provides hydraulic cylinder repair, component servicing and distribution of mobile hydraulic equipment and parts. Its operations include a 38,500-square-foot facility.

Montreal-based Guillevin, founded in 1906, is one of Canada’s largest electrical distributors. The company operates more than 120 branches nationwide, supplying electrical, lighting, industrial automation, datacom and renewable energy products.

The eight charges remain allegations and have not been proven in court.