Ontario Construction News staff writer
A Gatineau-based construction company has been fined $65,000 after a worker was injured in a fall on a project in Ottawa in 2022.
Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice, Bellai Alliance Floor Finishing Ltd. was fined on May 22, by Justice of the Peace Louisette Girault, the provincial government said in a news release.
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.
The incident occurred on March 4, 2022, at a construction project in Ottawa where the company was contracted to install balconies.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, a worker was installing temporary support columns for a balcony and was working on a 12-foot step ladder.
The ladderโs feet were placed on an unstable surface, with one on a sloped mound of dirt and the other on a piece of plywood.
The ladder became unstable and tipped, causing the worker to fall and sustain injuries.
A ministry investigation found that Bellai Alliance Floor Finishing Ltd. failed to ensure the ladder was placed on a firm, level surface and that it was not secured to prevent it from tipping. This was in violation of section 80(a) and 80(b) of Ontarioโs Construction Projects Regulation.
The company failed as an employer to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker, contrary to section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The constructor on the project, Claridge Homes Inc., plead guilty and was fined $55,000 in relation to this incident in August 2024, the statement said.