Excerpt from the government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’
An excavator came into contact with energized wires when its boom was lifted; workers were present.
Coco Paving Inc. was retained by the Regional Municipality of Durham to supply and install a sanitary forcemain, which is an underground waste pipe used to move waste to a sewage plant.
On February 8, 2018, a worker employed by Coco Paving Inc., was working at the project on the northwest corner of Simcoe and Kellett Streets in Port Perry. The worker was in the process of retrieving material with an excavator. A co-worker was working at connecting a section of forcemain to the excavator so that it could be moved.
After the material was connected, the excavator operator raised the boom of the excavator, causing the excavator to come into contact with overhead energized conductors. No one was injured as a result of the incident.
On the day before the incident (February 7) the employer assigned a signaller or “spotter” to assist around overhead energized conductors. However, on February 8th no signaller or “spotter” was present to observe the movements of the excavator.
The company has three prior health and safety convictions, two of them fatalities; one of the convictions is currently under appeal.
Following a guilty plea, Coco Paving Inc., was fined $50,000 in provincial offences court in Whitby by Justice of the Peace John MacDonald; Crown Counsel Indira Stewart.
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.
My opinion
The law(s) in contravention:
Coco Paving Inc. was found guilty, again. This time Coco Paving was found guilty of a contravention of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) section 25, subsection 2(a) which states,
“An employer shall,
(a) provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker.”
Coco Paving Inc. should have, by now, hired a competent health and safety professional to revamp their health and safety policies and procedures.
There is a great need for Coco Paving to change the work culture to one that includes health and safety on the job.
HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Due Diligence’ and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.
Ensure your workplace is a safe place.
Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Advanced Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.
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