Worker injured by a falling post, company fined $50,000
August 10, 2016 | By MRO Staff
Newmarket, ON – A Concord, Ontario company, Welded Tube of Canada Corporation, has been fined $50,000 after a worker was injured by a falling post.
On March 5, 2014, workers at a construction project at 541 Bowes Road in Concord were dismantling and replacing a steel storage system for Welded Tube. The storage system consisted of sleeper beams (7-inch by 7-inch hollow steel tubes) laid out on the ground and vertical upright posts welded onto the sleeper beams.
When a worker cut loose an upright support, it caused the movement of posts that then fell; a worker was struck and injured.
The Ministry of Labour’s investigation found that the sleeper beams had been inadequately anchored to prevent movement. This is contrary to Ontario Regulation 213/91 – the Construction Projects Regulation – which states that “every part of a project, including a temporary structure, shall be adequately braced to prevent any movement that may affect its stability or cause its failure or collapse.” The worker has since returned to full-time duties.
Accordingly, Welded Tube failed as a constructor to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed by the regulation were carried out in the workplace, contrary to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Source: Ministry of Labour
