The Court found a violation of the regulation for construction projects
A Woodbridge-based company, Innovative Metal Works Inc., was fined $68,000 after pleading guilty to workplace safety violations stemming from a critical injury sustained by a worker on February 27, 2023. The conviction was announced on September 20, following a ruling by Justice of the Peace Raimondo Maltese in the Provincial Offences Court in Newmarket.
Innovative Metal Works, located at 196 Chrislea Rd., specializes in manufacturing and installing structural steel for various construction projects. A report from Vaughan Citizen noted the incident occurred at a hotel construction site located at 180 Main St. S. in Newmarket, where the company was contracted to erect steel for a new three-storey addition.
According to a court bulletin released by Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, the accident transpired when a nylon hoisting strap that was securing a lateral assembly beam to a crane broke. As a result, the beam swung and fell, critically injuring a worker at ground level.
At the time of the incident, three workers from Innovative Metal Works were present on-site. One worker was stationed on the ground, responsible for rigging the loads for the crane, while the other two were positioned on the third level in scissor lifts to assist with the installation and connection of the beams.
The ground-level worker had connected one end of the nylon hoisting strap to the center of the lateral assembly beam using a choke hitch, with the opposite end attached to the crane’s hook block. The crane was lifting the beam towards its designated position when the hoisting strap snapped, leading to the severe injury of the worker.
An investigation by the Ministry of Labour determined that the hoisting strap had been compromised after it came into contact with a sharp capping plate on the assembly. The investigation also revealed a lack of edge protection, which is critical for maintaining the integrity of equipment like hoisting straps when in use near sharp edges.
The Ministry found that Innovative Metal Works failed to implement necessary safety measures to protect the nylon hoisting strap from being cut, a violation of the Regulation for Construction Projects under section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
In addition to the $68,000 fine, the court imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. This surcharge will be directed to a provincial government fund dedicated to assisting victims of crime.
