Blog Post #311 – Paul S. Pollock Fined $60,000 after Worker Injured

Excerpt from the Government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’

Paul S. Pollock Enterprises Ltd., carrying on business as Canadian Tire Store #420, was fined $60,000 on March 7, 2011, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused a worker to be injured.

On April 24, 2009, at the company’s Canadian Tire store in Kitchener, two workers were attempting to mount a boat onto a wall display. They were both standing on stepladders when one of the ladders tipped and the worker fell off. The worker suffered broken bones.

Paul S. Pollock Enterprises Ltd., carrying on business as Canadian Tire Store #420, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the boat was lifted, carried or moved in a way that did not endanger the safety of a worker.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael A. Cuthbertson. In addition to the fine, the court 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.

The law(s) broken,

Paul S. Pollock Enterprises Ltd. was found guilty of violating section 45 (a) of the Ontario ‘Industrial’ regulation 851 which states,

“Materials, articles or things,

a) Required to be lifted, carried or moved, shall be lifted, carried or moved in such a way and with such precautions and safeguards, including protective clothing, guards or other precautions as will ensure that the lifting, carrying or moving of the material, articles or things does not endanger the safety of any worker.”

My opinion,

Oh Boy! We have a situation where an unusual process was not thought clearly out and the worker was hurt. The store display of a boat had to be a very difficult thing to do and should have been a fully supervised planned event. The display should have been discussed prior to the actual mounting and the workers should have been made aware of all the possible hazards to putting the display up. A course in ‘Ladder Safety’ would not have hurt as well. I also cannot wonder if a scissor-lift (self-propelled aerial work platform) might have been a better way to go. Mind you, to be competent to drive one of those one must have been deemed competent in ‘Fall Protection’.

As I said before, there was a lot of planning needed before the work was to be done.

Remember — In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”

‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.

Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Foundation Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRSGroup Inc.