Ontario Construction News staff writer
A Brampton company has been fined $100,000 after a worker was critically injured when a bridge they were inspecting moved suddenly in Welland in March of 2022.
The company, Sin Structures Inc., pleaded guilty in Ontario Court of Justice in Welland to failing to ensure equipment was moved without endangering the safety of a worker as outlined in the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development reported in a statement on Monday.
The worker, a quality control inspection supervisor, was doing a final inspection of a girder/truss for a bridge that was being assembled in an industrial building. They were on the steel jig inside the bridge glider for a better view and noticed a bolt was improperly positioned.
The supervisor needed to move the bridge girder/truss a quarter of an inch so the bolt hole locations would match the engineered drawings.
Because all of the material handlers and crane operators were on break, the lead hand/welder fitter moved the bridge girder/truss using an overhead crane. He jogged the remote control but the bridge assembly moved uncontrollably about four feet.
A diagonal cord of the bridge girder/truss moved across the steel jig where the supervisor was sitting, pinning him between the two parts of the bridge. The supervisor was critically injured as a result.
A $100,000 fine was imposed and the company will also have to pay a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge. The statement says the company pled guilty and was convicted on Sept. 6.