Crane company fined $53K over accident

A crane rental business has been charged $53,000 as penalty for a workplace injury that caused permanent brain damage in a worker.

All Canada Crane Rental issued a guilty plea after being charged with failing to ensure fall protection equipment at a worksite in Goodwood near Halifax.

During a routine task in July 2017, a worker named James Beaudin fell inside a section of a crane boom and landed on the steel lattice. Beaudin, who fell from a height of less than three metres, had failed to put on the proper gear despite the risk of falling.

The worker suffered serious brain injury as a result of the accident. “He has not returned to work and his prognosis appears to be permanent disability,” Crown attorney Alex Keaveny said.

“The risks were obvious, and should have been obvious to All Canada. Using fall protection would have been cheap and easy and would have absolutely prevented Mr. Beaudin from suffering these life-changing injuries,” he said.

The prosecution and defence filed a joint sentencing recommendation before the Halifax provincial court. The petition was accepted by Judge Michael Sherar, who imposed a $20,000 fine, $3,000 victim fine surcharge and a $30,000 mandatory donation to the Occupational Health and Safety Education Trust Fund of Halifax.

“Hopefully, this will also continue to send the message to other businesses that failure to live up to their obligations to protect their workers will not be tolerated and will come with real consequences,” the prosecution said.

All Canada has since closed down its yard in Goodwood.