Newmarket, Ont. – Bondfield Construction Company Limited and BMC Masonry (2032686 Ontario Limited), both of Concord, yesterday were fined $75,000 and $50,000 respectively for violations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.

On November 29, 2007, an electrician subcontracted by BMC received chest and pelvis injuries after being pinned under a wall that collapsed at a construction project at 90 Greenwood Rd., Stouffville. The electrician was walking next to the concrete block wall when a strong wind suddenly blew it over.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that a BMC employee had removed the wall’s temporary bracing earlier that day.

Constructor Bondfield Construction Company Limited and employer BMC Masonry pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the wall was designed and constructed to resist the wind and adequately braced to prevent it from collapsing.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Tina Rotondi-Molinari. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

London, Ont. – Rosati Construction Inc. of Windsor and supervisor Matteo Romano were fined $60,000 and $3,000 respectively on May 20 for violations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.

Keller Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc. of Exeter and supervisor Joseph Gower were also fined $60,000 and $3,000 respectively on March 25 in the same matter.

On July 29, 2008, a Keller worker was injured after falling through an opening in a roof at a construction project at 4025 White Oak Rd., London. The worker fell about six metres onto a gravel pile.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the worker had no fall protection after plywood used to cover the opening had been removed.

Constructor Rosati Construction Inc., employer Keller Roofing & Sheet Metal Inc. and supervisors Matteo Romano and Joseph Gower pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the worker was adequately protected from falling while the plywood covering was removed temporarily from the opening in the roof.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Robert Gay. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

L’Orignal, Ont. – Reg and Son Sheet Metal Inc. of Oakville was fined $65,000 on May 20 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.

On June 14, 2007, a worker received arm and back injuries after falling through an opening in the roof of a construction project at 3001 Richelieu St., Clarence-Rockland. The worker was gathering roofing materials with a wheelbarrow, stepped backwards through an opening and fell about six metres.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Reg and Son Sheet Metal Inc. did not cover openings it made in the roof the previous day. The company knew workers would be on the roof the next day.

Reg and Son Sheet Metal Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to protect the worker from falling through the opening with either a guardrail system or a protective covering.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Basile V. Marchand. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Burlington, Ont. – Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited was fined $850,000 today for violations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after two workers were killed in separate incidents.

On January 31, 2008, a worker was fatally injured at Ford’s Oakville assembly plant after being crushed between two forklifts. The worker was standing beside a forklift when a co-worker reversed another forklift into the worker. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the forklift operator did not keep a clear view of the vehicle’s path of travel while reversing.

On January 14, 2009, a worker driving a lift truck carrying an unsecured pallet was killed at Ford’s Bramalea parts distribution centre. While the worker was driving the lift truck down a narrow aisle, the pallet struck a storage rack. The worker was crushed between the pallet and the vehicle. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Ford’s material movement policies and procedures were not adequate.

Ford Motor Company of Canada Limited pleaded guilty to two counts of failing to take all reasonable precautions in the circumstances to protect the safety of the workers.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Jerry Woloschuk. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Burlington, Ont. – Giffels Design-Building Inc., a Toronto-based designer and constructor, was fined $145,000 on May 18, for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was killed.

On July 29, 2008, a worker died after falling through a floor opening at a construction project at 8020 Fifth Line, Halton Hills. The worker was on the mezzanine, stepped around a barrier of snow fencing and fell about eight metres.

Giffels Design-Building Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to protect the worker from falling through the floor opening with either a guardrail system or a protective covering.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Denis Lee. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Ottawa, Ont. – S & R Mechanical, a division of Cumberland-based 681291 Ontario Inc., was fined $125,000 yesterday for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was killed at a construction project in Ottawa.

On September 8, 2008, a worker suffered fatal head and chest injuries after being struck by a 181-kilogram pipe during a hoisting operation. The worker was on a ladder guiding the pipe into an overhead rack when the hoist’s anchor snapped, causing the pipe and hoist to fall.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the anchor system was not properly installed.

S & R Mechanical pleaded guilty to failing as an employer to ensure that the hoist was arranged to prevent the pipe from slipping or falling.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Herb Kreling. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Sarnia, Ont. – NATSCO Mechanical Contractors Inc., a Sarnia-based company, was fined $70,000 on May 10 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was struck by a 3,500 kilogram pipe and seriously injured.

On November 19, 2007, workers were using a front-end loader to unload large pipes from a truck when one of the pipes fell off the truck. The pipe struck and pinned the truck driver who was standing beside the truck. The pipe was 16 metres in length and 0.91 metres in diameter. The driver received serious leg injuries. The workers were lifting another pipe off of the truck when the incident occurred in the driveway of a NATSCO job site at 426 Polymoore Dr. in St. Clair Township.

After trial, NATSCO Mechanical Contractors Inc. was found guilty of failing as a constructor to ensure that the pipes were moved in a manner that did not endanger the truck driver.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Holly R. Debacker. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Toronto, Ont. – Nelco Mechanical Limited, a Kitchener company that installs and maintains heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units, was fined $65,000 on April 28 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.

On May 26, 2008, two Nelco workers were using a crane to remove an HVAC unit from the roof of a Toronto business. A few days earlier, Nelco’s site supervisor told the workers that the power to the HVAC unit was disconnected. The workers attached the unit to the crane and started to lift it when they noticed the power cable was still attached. Believing that the cable was de-energized, one of the workers used sheet metal cutters to cut it. The worker was electrocuted, lost consciousness and collapsed.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the unit’s power supply had not been disconnected. The voltage of the cable was 600 volts.

Nelco Mechanical Limited pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the power supply to the HVAC unit was disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before, and while, any work was done.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Joanna T. Opalinski. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Toronto, Ont. – Sobeys Capital Incorporated was fined $80,000 on April 28 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured at its store at 197 Front St. in Toronto.

On October 10, 2008, a worker was using a small forklift to unload skids of ice cream from a truck trailer that was parked at the store’s loading dock. The worker used a dock bridge, a metal plate attached to the dock floor, to span the gap between the dock and the trailer. When the worker drove the forklift across the dock bridge, it bounced and came to rest 15 cm above the trailer bed. The worker picked up a skid of ice cream with the forklift. While reversing out of the trailer, the worker’s leg became jammed between the forklift and raised dock plate and was broken.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the dock bridge had not been installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions or properly maintained.

Sobeys Capital Incorporated pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that its dock bridge was maintained in good condition.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Joanna T. Opalinski. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.