Resform Construction Ltd. failed to ensure proper bracing of steel rebar cage
Cookstown Company Fined $140,000 for Workplace Injury
Resform Construction Ltd., a company specializing in concrete forming, masonry, and architectural precast concrete trades in the high-rise residential sector, has been fined $140,000 following a workplace incident resulting in a worker's critical injury.
The company, based in Cookstown, Ontario, failed to ensure proper bracing of a steel rebar cage as required by Ontario Regulation 213/91 and in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The incident happened November 11, 2021, at a high-rise project located at 1215 York Mills Road in Toronto. Resform Construction had been contracted to perform concrete formwork for the construction of two residential towers, one standing 24 storeys high and the other 12 storeys high.
Two workers employed by Resform Construction Ltd. were in the process of preparing the ground floor air shaft between two buildings for the installation of forms around a steel rebar cage. During the measurement process to determine the necessary materials for the installation, the rebar cage collapsed and fell on one of the workers, causing critical injuries.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigated and discovered the rebar cage had not been properly secured, leading to its collapse. The cage was freestanding, and the two tie wire connections to the existing structure were not secured.
By failing to adequately brace the steel rebar cage, Resform Construction Ltd. failed in its duty as an employer to comply with the measures and procedures outlined in section 31(1)(b) of Ontario Regulation 213/91, which is contrary to section 23(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Resform Construction Ltd. pleaded guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto. Additionally, a 25 percent victim fine surcharge, mandated by the Provincial Offences Act, was imposed by the court. The surcharge will be allocated to a special provincial government fund dedicated to supporting crime victims.
