LCBO pleaded guilty and was fined $80,000 after a worker was seriously injured while operating a forklift during training at a warehouse in London, Ont.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the incident occurred on June 20, 2022, while workers were being trained to use an electric pallet truck.
Investigators determined that the class was taught by a seasonal worker who was not certified to train others.
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The instructor had experience using the equipment but only gave a brief overview, assuming that the participants had already received theoretical training. The instructor provided an incomplete overview of how to perform visual and operational inspections based on the employer's checklist and the manufacturer's manual.
During the exercise, one of the workers, operating the machine for the first time, lost control and crashed into a steel warehouse rack, suffering a serious injury.
The ministry said the LCBO failed to provide adequate information, instructions and oversight, which violated a section of Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act..
After pleading guilty in the London Provincial Offenses Court on August 28, 2025, a fine of $80,000 was imposed.
The court also added a 25 per cent victim surcharge to the fine, which goes into the province's crime victim support fund.
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