Blog Post #1674 – Workplace Fatality Results in $140,000 Fine for Vaughan Company

Report from the government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’

A worker, employed by Kingsview Carpentry Ltd. of Vaughan, Ontario, a construction company specializing in residential carpentry, was fatally injured at a construction project after falling while positioning wooden roof trusses. The company failed, as an employer, to meet the requirements of section 125(1) of Ontario Regulation 213/91, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

On February 22, 2023, Kingsview Carpentry was the principal framing contractor on the project and responsible for supervising the other framing sub-contractors on the site.

Kingsview Carpentry hired Groulx Construction to install pre-engineered roof trusses on top of the garage area of a single-family home being constructed. In the moments leading up to the incident, workers with Groulx Construction were preparing to separate the trusses that they had previously hoisted up onto the garage walls. Groulx Construction had built a wooden support system in the centre of the garage to help keep the roof trusses upright. The support system was not intended to function as a work platform.

A worker with Groulx Construction climbed on top of the support system to reposition the trusses. During this process the support system broke. The worker was not wearing any kind of fall protection and fell to ground below, sustaining a fatal injury.

Kingsview Carpentry Ltd. failed, as an employer, to provide the worker with a scaffold, suspended work platform, boatswain’s chair or multi-point suspended work platform that met the requirements.

Following a guilty plea in the Provincial Offences Court in Owen Sound, the company was fined $140,000 by Justice of the Peace Moira Jean Callahan; Crown Counsel was Katie Krafchick.

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:

Kingsview Carpentry Ltd., was found guilty of a contravention of the Ontario ‘Construction Projects’ sector regulation 213/91, section 125, subsection 1 which states,

125. (1) “Where work cannot be done on or from the ground or from a building or other permanent structure without hazard to workers, a worker shall be provided with a scaffold, a suspended work platform, a boatswain’s chair or a multi-point suspended work platform that meets the requirements of this Regulation.”

This is contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), section 25, subsection 1(c) which states,

“An employer shall ensure that,

(c) the measures and procedures prescribed are carried out in the workplace.”

We see this all too often; workers working at elevated heights without protection.

The usual response we receive from employers is that we have been doing this way for years without an incident. Sound familiar?

I wonder if Kingsview Carpentry is actually using the right fall protection equipment when the MLITSD is not around.

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.

We can also be reached at

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.