THUNDER BAY, ONT. — A Sudbury, Ont.-based construction company has been fined for its role in the injury of a worker who fell from a ladder at a Thunder Bay, Ont. worksite.
Pioneer Construction Inc. was fined $50,000 by a Thunder Bay justice of the peace on May 25 for violating Ontario’s Construction Projects Regulation on July 29, 2016.
Pioneer had been contracted to resurface the asphalt of the north runway of the Thunder Bay International Airport. That July day, 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 in place on the float truck, the worker was to climb to the top of it using a ladder and detach the chains.
The worker put the ladder on the deck of the float truck to start the task. While the worker was on the ladder, the ladder slipped backwards and down. The worker fell, lost consciousness and suffered bodily injuries, states a Ministry of Labour release.
An investigation showed the ladder had not been secured at the top and bottom to prevent movement. It was concluded Pioneer had failed to comply with section 82(2)(d) of the Construction Projects Regulation as required by section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
In addition to the fine, 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.
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