Convicted: Pioneer Construction Inc., 1 Ceasar Road, Sudbury, Ontario.
Location: Thunder Bay International Airport, City of Thunder Bay.
Description of Offence: While working on a float truck, a worker fell from a ladder and was injured. The ladder should have been secured at the top and bottom to prevent movement.
Date of Offence: July 29, 2016.
Date of Conviction: May 25, 2018.
Penalty Imposed:
- Following a guilty plea, Pioneer Construction Inc. was fined for $50,000 in Thunder Bay court by Justice of the Peace John H. Guthrie; Crown Counsel Katherine Ballweg.
- 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.
Background:
- In 2016, Pioneer Construction Inc. was contracted to resurface the asphalt of the north runway of the Thunder Bay International Airport.
- On July 29, 2016, a float truck operator was working near the north runway securing a mobile office unit on a float truck.
- Chains were attached to the mobile office unit and a loader hoisted the mobile office unit and placed it onto the float truck.
- With the unit on the float truck, the worker was to climb to the top of the mobile office unit using a ladder, and detach the chains.
- The worker put the ladder on the deck of the float truck to get to the top of the mobile office unit. While the worker was on the ladder, the ladder slipped backwards and down. The worker fell, lost consciousness and suffered bodily injuries.
- The ladder had not been secured at the top and the bottom to prevent movement.
- As such, the defendant Pioneer Construction Inc. failed to comply with the section 82(2)(d) of the Construction Projects Regulation (Ontario Regulation 213/91), as required by section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
– Ministry of Labour