A 25% victim fine surcharge was also imposed on the firm
A Welland-based company has been fined $120,000 after one of its employees died in a workplace accident in November 2019.
The said employee was hired to install structural steel where concrete would be installed at a construction site of a multi-storey building, according to the provincial government.
However, the structural beams installed were not properly done, which resulted to the precast concrete slabs on the second floor of the building not bearing sufficiently on the beams.
The contractors decided on a later meeting that a pre-cast concrete contractor would remove the slabs on the offending steel beams so the company could remove and re-install them correctly.
The contractor had not made arrangements to remove the slabs as planned, however, and in a bid to speed up work, the company decided to order the victim to remove most of the bolts on the structural beams and cut the rebar connections under the concrete slabs.
It failed to inform the victim to install bracing to support the concrete slabs once the bolts were removed, and as a result, the slab fell on top of the worker after he cut the rebar under one of the overhead concrete slabs.
This resulted in a fatal injury, with the Ministry of Labour, Training, and Skills Development determining that the company failed to ensure that the concrete slabs were sufficiently braced to prevent collapse.
Read more: Nearly two million employees killed annually in workplace accidents
This is a violation of the section 31(1)(b) of the Regulation for Construction Projects and section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, according to the ministry.
The company later pleaded guilty to the Ontario Court of Justice, which handed down the $120,000 fine.
It also imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
According to the provincial government, the surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund that will assist the victims.
