Home / Crime and Justice / Seafood Giant Fined $150K After Worker Electrocution
Seafood Giant Fined $150K After Worker Electrocution
23 Apr
Summary
- Clearwater Seafoods fined $150,000 for worker's 2024 death.
- Victim Scott Dicks died from electrocution by a faulty space heater.
- Family hopes improved safety will be Scott Dicks' lasting legacy.
Nova Scotia shellfish company Clearwater Seafoods received a $150,000 penalty after a fatal incident in 2024. Scott Dicks, aged 36, died aboard the clam-fishing vessel Anne Risley due to electrocution. This occurred when he touched a space heater that had been rewired with an incompatible plug to fit a different outlet.
The company pleaded guilty to two charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Dicks, who was from Grand Bank, Newfoundland and Labrador, left behind a fiancée and three children. His family submitted impact statements, emphasizing their pain and the hope that improved safety measures will honor his memory.
Clearwater Seafoods operates globally with over 1,000 employees in Canada and significant annual revenue. The court considered mitigating factors, including the company's cooperation and early guilty pleas. Clearwater has also voluntarily funded a safety course, established a trust fund for one of Dicks's children, and is dedicating a playground in his name.
