TORONTO — Toronto’s Limen Group Const. (2019) Ltd. and two supervisors have been fined a total of $625,000 after a worker was fatally injured by a falling concrete block on Dec. 14, 2020.
The incident occurred at a construction site at 38 Widmer St. in Toronto.
According to an Ontario court bulletin, the company was subcontracted to perform formwork on a multi-storey condominium under construction. On the date of the incident waste concrete from the below-ground parking levels had to be lifted to ground level using a crane.
To do this, workers shovelled the waste concrete into wooden bins that had rebar placed in the bottom. When the concrete dried, the embedded rebar was used as a hoisting point for the crane. However, the rebar was not designed to be used as a hoisting point for anything more than a few feet, the bulletin notes.
One of the concrete blocks being hoisted in this manner fell while it was above the construction site, fatally injuring a worker.
The court found the company guilty of failing to ensure the waste concrete was hoisted using attachment points that were suitable for that use. It also found the company guilty of failing to ensure workers were adequately trained and supervised regarding the hazard of using embedded rebar for hoisting.
In addition to the company, the court found two supervisors guilty of failing to ensure workers were adequately trained and supervised regarding the hazard of using embedded rebar for hoisting.
The initial date of conviction was Nov. 28, 2023, but the defendants’ convictions and sentences were upheld on appeal on June 3 by Justice Gillian Roberts.
Limen Group was fined $600,000 by Justice Apple Newton-Smith. The two supervisors were fined $10,000 and $15,000, respectively.
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