$70,000 FINE AFTER SKID STEER INJURY WHEN WORKERS AND MOVING EQUIPMENT GET TOO CLOSE
WST SAFETY REPORT
Ontario Employer Fined $70,000 After Worker Critically Injured by Skid Steer
A Workplace Safety Warning About Pedestrians and Moving Equipment
Published by WORK SAFE Training Inc. | November 2026
One moving machine. One worker walking beside it. One serious workplace injury.
A recent Ontario Ministry of Labour court bulletin highlights a serious workplace safety concern that extends far beyond construction sites: the dangers of allowing pedestrians to work too close to moving equipment.
On October 28, 2026, the Ontario government reported that an employer had been fined $70,000 following an incident in which a worker suffered critical injuries involving a skid steer.
The incident serves as an important reminder for Ontario employers, supervisors and equipment operators:
Training an equipment operator is only one part of workplace safety. Protecting the people working around that equipment is equally important.
What Happened?
According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, the incident occurred in May 2024 at an Ontario worksite.
A worker was walking beside a moving skid steer while attempting to prevent material from escaping through a damaged bag being transported by the equipment.
During the movement, the worker's foot became caught beneath part of the skid steer's track, resulting in critical injuries.
The Ministry's investigation identified deficiencies in the instructions provided to workers regarding safe distances between pedestrians and moving equipment.
The employer was subsequently convicted and fined $70,000.
Although the incident occurred in 2024, the court bulletin was published on October 28, 2026.
The Critical Safety Question: Why Was Someone Walking Beside Moving Equipment?
This incident raises a question that every employer, supervisor and equipment operator should consider:
If a load requires someone to walk beside moving equipment to hold, adjust or stabilize it, should the equipment be moving at all?
A damaged bag, unstable pallet, shifting load or unexpected obstruction should trigger a reassessment of the task.
Improvised solutions that place workers beside moving machinery can create serious hazards, including:
Crushing and caught-between injuries
Contact with moving tracks or wheels
Falling or shifting materials
Restricted visibility
Unexpected equipment movement
When a load becomes damaged or unstable, operators should stop the operation in a safe manner and follow established procedures before continuing.
No load is worth putting a worker in the path of moving equipment.
Five Workplace Safety Lessons Ontario Employers Should Take From This Incident
1. Pedestrian Separation Must Be a Priority
Workers on foot should not be exposed unnecessarily to moving equipment.
Employers should establish appropriate pedestrian routes, equipment travel paths and exclusion zones based on their workplace hazards.
Where necessary, physical barriers, designated walkways, signage and controlled access points can help reduce exposure.
2. Equipment Operators Need Workplace-Specific Training
Knowing how to operate a machine is not the same as understanding every hazard within a particular workplace.
Operators should receive instruction on equipment-specific procedures, load handling, pedestrian controls, blind spots and emergency response.
Practical evaluations should reflect the equipment and conditions workers actually encounter.
3. Never Improvise Around Unstable Loads
Damaged packaging, unsecured materials and unstable loads can create dangerous situations.
Workers should never be expected to walk beside moving equipment to physically support or stabilize a load.
Instead, the operation should be stopped safely and an appropriate method of securing or handling the material determined before movement resumes.
4. Pedestrians Need Safety Awareness Training Too
Workplace safety training should not stop with the equipment operator.
Employees working around forklifts, skid steers, telehandlers and other powered equipment must understand:
Equipment blind spots
Pedestrian exclusion zones
Safe crossing procedures
Communication and warning signals
The dangers of approaching moving machinery
A trained operator cannot eliminate every risk when pedestrians are unaware of equipment hazards.
5. Supervisors Must Reinforce Safe Work Practices
Safety procedures must be understood, implemented and consistently followed.
Supervisors should regularly observe equipment operations, correct unsafe practices and ensure employees are not taking shortcuts to complete tasks.
A procedure that exists only on paper cannot protect someone on the warehouse floor or construction site.
This Is Not Just a Skid Steer Safety Issue
Although this incident involved a skid steer, the underlying hazards apply to many Ontario workplaces.
Warehouses, distribution centres, manufacturing facilities, loading docks and construction sites routinely operate powered equipment around pedestrians.
These environments may involve:
Counterbalance forklifts
Reach Trucks
Order Pickers
Walkie/Rider Pallet Trucks
Telehandlers and Zoom Booms
Skid steers and other mobile equipment
Different machines create different hazards, but one principle remains consistent:
Moving equipment and pedestrians must be managed through effective training, procedures and workplace safety controls.
Is Your Workplace Doing Enough to Protect Pedestrians?
WORK SAFE Training encourages Ontario employers to review the following questions:
Are pedestrian walkways and equipment travel routes clearly identified?
Are workers trained to recognize equipment blind spots and exclusion zones?
Do operators understand when to stop work because of an unsafe load?
Are safe distances maintained around moving equipment?
Are supervisors regularly observing equipment operations?
Are practical operator evaluations specific to the equipment and workplace?
Have pedestrian hazards been reviewed at intersections, loading docks and high-traffic areas?
If the answers are unclear, it may be time to reassess existing workplace procedures and training needs.
How WORK SAFE Training Can Help
Since 2008, WORK SAFE Training Inc. has provided forklift, material-handling and workplace safety training to individuals and employers across the Greater Toronto Area and Southern Ontario.
Our corporate training services include:
New operator training
Experienced operator evaluations and recertification
Forklift and powered material-handling equipment training
On-site workplace-specific practical assessments
Forklift and pedestrian safety awareness
Corporate training programs
Workplace forklift and pedestrian safety assessments
Our training focuses on developing practical operator competency, improving hazard awareness and helping employers identify opportunities to strengthen workplace safety.
Because Workplace Safety Is About More Than Operating the Equipment.
It's about protecting everyone working around it.
WORK SAFE TRAINING INC.
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Scarborough, Ontario
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Mississauga, Ontario
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Website: www.worksafetytraining.ca
Corporate on-site training available throughout the GTA and Southern Ontario.
Official Source
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Court Bulletin — October 28, 2026
Workplace Injury Results in $70,000 Fine for Paving Company
This article is provided for workplace safety education and general awareness. Employers remain responsible for assessing their workplace hazards and complying with applicable occupational health and safety requirements.
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