Excerpt from the government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’
On June 1, 2021, two workers were dismantling a walk-in cooler. One of the workers, who was not wearing fall protection, used a scissor lift elevated work platform to step on the top of the freezer to unscrew metal plates attached to the roofing panels.
The roof collapsed, injuring the worker when they fell over 10 feet to the concrete floor below.
Although the employer had a written fall protection policy and provided workers with fall protection equipment and the worker had received general working at heights training, the employer did not provide them with site-specific working at heights training. Further, no information or instruction was provided to the worker with respect to how to safely dismantle the cooler.
Farm Boy Company Inc. failed to provide information and/ or instruction and/or supervision with respect to the safe dismantling and/ or demolition of a walk-in cooler.
Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice, East Region, Farm Boy Company Inc. was fined $90,000 by Justice of the Peace Anne M. Colterman; Crown Counsel, Alessandra Hollands.
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:
Farm Boy Company Inc. 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.”
As a training provider for Working at Heights (WAH), the message is clear – workplace-specific training must be a part of the training. General training is fine but each day, on each site, fall hazards change and the workers MUST receive adequate training to do their jobs and to do them safely. I guess no management individual received any of the necessary training.
Too bad for the employee.
HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Fall Protection’ and ‘Working at Heights’. 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
CEO & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.