Prince George, B.C. – Lakeland Mills Ltd. has filed a Request for Review of the WorkSafe BC sanctions levied against the company in relation to the explosion in April of 2012 that claimed two lives and left numerous workers injured.

WorkSafe BC had levied an administrative penalty of $97,500, and a claims cost levy of $626,663.28 against Lakeland.

Lakeland says Crown Counsel had decided not to prosecute the company for regulatory infractions under the Workers Compensation Act, based on information gathered by WorkSafe.   In a release issued this afternoon, Lakeland says “WorkSafe BC nevertheless chose to issue sanctions against Lakeland Mills, based on the very same facts that the Crown had declined to pursue.”

In a release issued this afternoon, Lakeland says the decision to appeal the sanctions after “carefully weighing its responsibility for the tragedy against its sincere belief that the responsibility is shared with all stakeholders with an interest in ensuring safe workplaces.”

The company says accepting the sanction, would “leave the wrong impression that Lakeland and its people were not diligent, or were reckless. Lakeland believes that the facts do not bear out such a conclusion.”

The company points to the Crown’s Clear Statement that concluded “a sawdust related explosion hazard was a previously unrecognized hazard” and adds, “ It was not until three days after the Lakeland accident that WorkSafe BC began an urgent initiative with the wood products manufacturing industry, to draw attention to the hazard of combustible dust and publicly share information with workers, their families, industry and other stakeholders.”

The company says it will not be issuing further statements on this matter as the review proceeds.

A Coroners inquest into the Lakeland Mills explosion and the double fatal blast at the Babine Forest Products mill in Burns Lake, is set to start in Prince George in March.

The Lakeland mill has since been rebuilt and is expected to be in production  before the end of November.