Prairie Bus Lines hit with 10 OHS charges after garage explosion injured five
Alberta Occupational Health and Safety laid the charges more than a year and a half after a propane bus explosion tore through the company's Red Deer shop.
Why it matters
The charges highlight workplace safety failures involving propane-fuel vehicle maintenance that led to serious injuries in a Red Deer business.
Prairie Bus Lines, a Red Deer-based charter bus service, is facing 10 charges under Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act stemming from a Jan. 9, 2025 explosion in its garage that injured five workers. The charges were laid on Aug. 23, 2026.
Red Deer Emergency Services responded to the explosion at the company's downtown shop just after 3:22 p.m. that day, initially reported as a structure explosion. Staff and guests from the neighbouring Safe Harbour homeless shelter, along with Recovery Alberta medical teams, were among the first to assist the injured before emergency crews arrived. All five workers suffered burn injuries and were later reported to be recovering.
According to the OHS report, a mechanic was performing service or repair work on a propane-powered bus when the explosion occurred. The charges allege Prairie Bus Lines failed to service the propane fuel system according to manufacturer specifications, allowed fuel-system work to proceed indoors near ignition sources, and failed to train the worker on locating and using the fuel shutoff valve.
Additional charges accuse the company of failing to properly assess workplace hazards before the repair work began and failing to keep the required 35-foot clearance from heat, sparks, flames and other ignition sources specified by the bus manufacturer.
Compiled by the Alberta Daily Desk — an AI-written summary of reporting from the credited sources below, produced and reviewed under our editorial policy.