Employers have the duty of ensuring that staff are protected from mishaps
An Ontario-based company has been slapped with a $60,000 fine after one of its employees died after falling from a bucket truck without wearing. The employee, who was a contractor hired by the company, was employed in August 2019 to assist in the assembly and establishment of an industrial type/style barn.
However, while working from the bucket of a bucket truck, he fell to the ground and sustained critical injuries.
While the worker was taken to a nearby hospital, he was admitted to the ICU before days later succumbing to the complications from the injuries he received.
According to an investigation from the Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development, the worker was also not wearing any fall protection at the time of the incident
"Accordingly, the constructor failed to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed by s. 148(1)(e) were carried out at the project, contrary to s. 23(1)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O 1990, c.O.1 as amended," said the ministry in a media release.
Justice of the Peace Goffin-Boyd handed the $60,000 to the company on February 2022 after the "guilty plea in provincial offences court in Belleville" made by the company.
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Occupational Health and Safety Act
Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) outlines the duties of employers when it comes to the safety of their staff.
In the case above, the OHSA states that constructors shall ensure that "the measures and procedures prescribed by this Act and the regulations are carried out on the project."
They must also make sure that employers and employee are compliant with the Act and the regulations.
Similarly, employers shall ensure that the equipment, materials, and protective devices as prescribed are provided, as well as ensuring that equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition.
