K-Line Maintenance and Construction Limited pleaded guilty to OHS act violation
K-Line Maintenance and Construction Limited, a high voltage service provider, has been fined $100,000 after a worker was critically injured on the job.
The company, based out of Stoufville, Ontario was working in Burlington, Ontario on July 6, 2016 when the incident took place.
Workers with the company were involved in a project at the Burlington Canal Lift Bridge and a rope was attached to a tensioner-puller machine to pull an aerial cable over the bridge gap.
“When this pull rope broke, the sudden release of tension caused the cable to rush backward over the span critically injuring a worker,” says the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
The ministry adds the company had created a standard operating procedure for the pulling operation, which was successfully used at the work site for several days. But on the day of the incident, a site supervisor instructed workers to deviate from the plan without seeking approval.
The ministry says this caused the worker to stand in a dangerous area for longer than necessary.
“Contrary to the rope manufacturer’s manual, the site supervisor did not instruct the workers to increase the safety factor of the rope when they were exposed to the hazard in question (for example, by using a stronger pull rope), nor did the supervisor take other steps to protect the workers in the event of an unanticipated rope failure.”
The company pleaded guilty to failing to meet the requirements set out in Section 93 (3) of Ontario Regulation 213/91 which requires all vehicles, machines, tools and equipment be used in accordance with operating manuals issued by manufacturers.
This isn’t the first fine for the company in relation to this incident. It was fined $150,000 because the equipment was not maintained and in good condition.
