GEBIS and 1 Buddhist monk told to pay $110,000 after fatal workplace accident

The Great Enlightenment Buddhist Institute Society (GEBIS) and one of its monks have been ordered to pay a total of $110,000 in fines following an occupational health and safety investigation into the death of a man on the group's Heatherdale campus last summer.

GEBIS pleaded guilty to three Occupational Health and Safety charges on Thursday in Georgetown, while the monk pleaded guilty to one.

According to an agreed statement of facts filed in court, crews were working in the woods at the Three Rivers site in August 2024, clearing debris and toppled trees from post-tropical storm Fiona.

Chainsaws were being used. Some of the operators had been trained by fellow members of the organization on how to use the machines; only a handful of people had what the court documents called "external training." 

The monk later charged under provincial legislation did not have the formal chainsaw training.

"While [the monk] was cutting a tree, he was facing away from the crew. The tree fell onto four of his crew members," the facts document read.

Two people were seriously injured and others at the scene immediately called 911. 

Firefighters and paramedics arrived to assess and treat the injured people. One man was taken to the hospital after suffering multiple cardiac arrests in the ambulance on the scene of the incident. 

He died the next day. 

Not in compliance 

Documents filed in court refer to the monks' place of residence and worship as a "workplace" and the monk who cut down the tree as "an employee."

The courtroom heard that before the accident, GEBIS had failed to adhere to elements of the legislation and regulations that oversee workplace safety in the province. 

Among them: The organization did not have a procedure for reporting serious workplace injuries, a written emergency preparedness plan, or a formal occupational health and safety committee.

Also, no one on the site was trained in first aid. There happened to be a retired physician and a retired physician's assistant within the group, however. 

Work stopped as safety reviewed

After the incident, GEBIS stopped all work in the forest, along with any other hazardous activities on the site, until a safety review could be conducted.

The organization has since formed an approved OHS committee that holds regular meetings and has developed guidelines that better align with P.E.I.'s standards. 

The investigation also looked at the monk's actions and concluded he was not in compliance with regulations, including failing to "maintain a safe distance of not less than twice the height of the tree being felled between himself and the nearest worker."

For that he'll have to pay a $2,000 fine and another $8,000 to the Workers' Compensation Board for public education.

Meanwhile the organization will pay $15,000 in fines for its three OHS charges and $85,000 to the board.