Ontario Construction News staff writer
A Stouffville-based glass company has been fined $150,000 after a worker died when an exterior building panel fell on them at a York University construction site in 2022.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development says Stouffville Glass Inc. was fined after a supervisor was fatally injured while an exterior building panel was being hoisted into place on the sixth floor of a building at 4700 Keele St.
An investigation determined that the taglines used to control the panel’s motion on the crane were attached to a power grip that was used to hoist the load, instead of being attached to the load itself.
The company pleaded guilty to failing to comply with section 179 of Regulation 213/91 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
In addition to the fine, a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge was imposed and is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
The company was contracted to do the exterior and interior glass installation, as well as exterior aluminum panel installation for the new Continuing Studies Building. The project started in March 2020 and Stouffville Glass was subcontracted for the work.