A local demolition company is facing a steep fine following the death of a worker in 2021.
An employee of James Curran Expert Removal and Excavating was working on the upper level of a building previously used as a grain silo on July 19, 2021 when the victim fell.
According to the Ministry of Labour, the worker was on a platform that had holes in the floor and unguarded openings around three sides, approximately 7.62 metres above the ground.
The worker was standing on a ladder, in the process of removing an old hopper beside the platform. While making a cut, one half of the hopper dropped suddenly and fell to the platform, causing the worker to fall off the ladder, over the edge of the platform, and to the ground below, suffering fatal injuries.
Justice Susan Hoffman ruled the company failed to ensure the worker was adequately protected by a method of fall protection with the risk of falling over three metres, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
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.
