Brampton, ON – The Corporation of the City of Brampton was fined $75,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a young worker was injured.

On February 20, 2009, City workers were preparing the tube hill for use by the public. Every day, before opening the hill to patrons, workers tested the speed of the hill. To test the speed of the escape lane, a young worker sat in a tube and slid down the lane. The tube slid in the wrong direction, went over the berm, and collided with the tow line lifting device. The worker suffered broken bones, a punctured lung, spinal fracture and a concussion.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that City failed to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that the berm was adequate for the protection of the worker.

The Corporation of the City of Brampton pleaded guilty to failing to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael Barnes. 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. – ABC Interior Systems Inc., a North York company that produced plastic auto parts using injection and blow moulding, was fined $50,000 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, after a worker was injured.

On February 9, 2009, a worker was working at the company’s Etobicoke plant, where parts were assembled and spray painted. The worker was working indoors near a loading door. Outdoors, a lift-truck operator was bringing in three stacks of large plastic containers into the plant. The operator was attempting to secure the third, and final, stack of containers on a forklift when the stack became unbalanced due to a build-up of snow and ice. The stack tipped and crashed into the loading door, injuring the worker inside.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the company failed to keep the ground in the area clear of accumulated ice and snow.

ABC Interior Systems Inc. was found guilty under the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to keep the floor or other surface that are used by workers free of obstructions, hazards and accumulation of refuse, snow or ice.

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

Brantford, ON – Brant Screen Craft Inc., a Brantford printing company, was fined $25,000 for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused a worker to be injured.

On April 14, 2009, at the company’s printing facility, a worker was adjusting parts of a running lamination machine. The worker’s hand got entangled in a pinch point between two rolls and was injured.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the worker was wearing a ring at the time of the incident.

Brant Screen Craft Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the worker was not wearing a ring near a source of entanglement.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Dan MacDonald. 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, ON – Hurley Corporation, a Toronto company that provides janitorial services, was fined $60,000 on February 17, 2011, for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act by improperly storing chemicals.

On March 6, 2009, a Hurley worker was attempting to clean the floor at Humber College’s Etobicoke campus. The worker asked a supervisor to provide floor cleaner. The supervisor poured a floor cleaning chemical from a properly labeled commercial container into a water bottle and left the bottle on a table in the worker’s area. There were no markings on the bottle to identify it as floor cleaner. The worker found the bottle, assumed it was filled with water, and drank from it. The worker felt a burning stomach, coughed up blood, vomited and briefly lost consciousness. The worker was hospitalized but released with no lasting effects from the chemical.

Hurley Corporation pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the floor cleaner was transferred into a container with a proper workplace label.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Kevin Madigan. 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.

Simcoe, ON – Atlas Dewatering Corporation, a Concord company dealing in groundwater control, was fined $75,000 on February 10, 2011, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was critically injured. Patrick Maher, a supervisor with the company, was fined $6,000 in relation to the same incident.

On June 12, 2009, Atlas Dewatering Corporation was working at the bridge between Chapman St. and Silver Lake Rd. in Port Dover. The company was installing a temporary cofferdam so that engineers could inspect the existing dam. A cofferdam is an enclosure within a water environment that allows water to be pumped out to create a dry environment. Workers were using a crane to install the cofferdam while an electrical conductor remained energized overhead. A worker came into contact with the crane’s hook and received an electrical shock that caused extensive nerve damage leading to amputation.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that there was less than three metres between the crane and the energized 4800 volt conductor at the time of the incident.

Atlas Dewatering Corporation pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that there was at least three meters between the crane and the energized conductor. Patrick Maher pleaded guilty to the same.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Richard Kivell. 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.

Brampton, ON – 2026380 Ontario Limited, carrying on business as Able Concrete, a Kitchener construction company, was fined $95,000 yesterday for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused a worker’s death. Bryan Cher, a supervisor with the company, was fined a total $15,000 in relation to the same incident.

On June 1, 2009, Able Concrete was doing concrete formwork at the Lakeview Water Treatment Plant in Mississauga. A foreman at the site directed a worker to put a formwork panel into place. The worker used a crane to move the panel to where it needed to be. As the panel was being set down, it shifted and came free of its rigging to the crane. The 700 kilogram panel fell onto the foreman, who died.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the panel could have been rigged to the crane in a more stable fashion.

Ministry of Labour inspectors also determined that Bryan Cher, a supervisor at the site, had disturbed the scene of the incident before the police arrived to investigate.

2026380 Ontario Limited, carrying on business as Able Concrete, pleaded guilty to failing, as an employer, to ensure the formwork panel was stored and moved in a manner that did not endanger a worker. Bryan Cher pleaded guilty, as a supervisor, to the same offense. He was fined $6,000.

Mr. Cher was fined an additional $9,000 after pleading guilty to disturbing the scene of a workplace incident before being given permission by an inspector.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Gerry Manno. 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.

Toronto, ON – Ely’s Glass Company Limited, a Toronto company that sells and installs windows, was fined $70,000 on January 27, 2011, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused a worker’s death.

On September 9, 2009, a worker from Ely’s Glass was replacing a window in an apartment building in Toronto. To remove the window pane, the worker cut a hole in it from the inside and reached through to pry it out of the window frame. The worker was standing on a ladder, which slipped. The worker fell. The worker’s arm hit the sharp edge of the window pane and was cut severely. The worker died.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the worker was not wearing protective clothing and the sharp edge of glass in the window pane was not covered to protect the worker.

Ely’s Glass Company Limited pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that a worker was protected from the hazard of skin contact with a sharp or jagged object.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Sunny Ng. 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.