Construction company fined after worker falls 13-storeys and dies in Hamilton
Published October 2, 2020 at 3:06 pm
A fatal fall at a Hamilton construction site has resulted in a $150,000 fine for a Toronto construction company.
A fatal fall at a Hamilton construction site has resulted in a $150,000 fine for a Toronto construction company.
The incident occurred on Oct. 15, 2018, during the restoration of the 13-storey apartment building at 57 Forest Ave.
“A worker fell from the roof of the building and was killed by the fall,” according to the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, which says the conviction was made Thursday (Oct. 1, 2020).
The ministry says an investigation found that the worker was not protected by a guardrail or travel restraint system as required by law.
Videos
Toronto construction company, Welldone Inc., was fined $150,000 following a guilty plea in a Hamilton court.
The court also 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.
At the time of the incident, two workers were on the building’s rooftop, according to the ministry.
“They were not wearing any fall protection equipment and were not otherwise protected from the hazard of falling off the edge of the building.”
The workers were marking measurements to indicate the new location for a beam to support the suspended swing stage.
“One worker was on his hands and knees and held and watched the live end of the measuring tape,” concluded the ministry. “The other worker took the zero end of the measuring tape and walked away towards the end of the wing to mark the location of the beam.”
The worker on his hands and knees reportedly saw the measuring device continue beyond the expected distance and yelled for his co-worker to stop. At that point, “the co-worker screamed while falling off the edge of the building”, according to the ministry’s final report.
The co-worker was pronounced dead at the project by a regional coroner.
insauga's Editorial Standards and Policies advertising