TORONTO, Aug. 26 /CNW/ - Brady Mechanical Systems Ltd., a construction contractor that installed mechanical systems for buildings based in Toronto, was fined a total of $150,000 on August 25, 2005 for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in one fatality and minor injuries to seven other workers.
On August 22, 2002, a large air handling unit was being lifted onto a concrete pad on the 14th floor of a building under construction in Toronto. The top of a standpipe had to be removed in order to get the unit into place. The standpipe had been pressurized to test for leaks approximately seven to ten days prior to the incident, but the pressure had not been relieved following the test. A worker stood over the standpipe to pull it off as another worker loosened a coupling. An explosion resulted as pressurized air and water escaped. The worker over the standpipe was struck by the standpipe, resulting in fatal injuries. Seven other workers were also injured. The incident occurred at a construction site on Delisle Avenue in Toronto. Brady Mechanical Systems had been subcontracted by the constructor, and was the employer of the deceased worker.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Brady Mechanical Systems Ltd. did not have any written procedures for the pressure testing of pipes and the workers were not trained by the employer on procedures and precautions to use while pressure testing pipes.
Brady Mechanical Systems Ltd. pleaded guilty to:
- Failing, as an employer, to ensure that the measures and procedures required by Section 48(1)(a) of the Regulation for Construction Projects were carried out on the worksite. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
- Failing, as an employer, to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health and safety of a worker. This was contrary to Section 25(2)(a) of the act.
The Honourable Mr. Justice Claude Paris of the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto, fined the company $135,000 on the first count and $15,000 on the second count. In addition, the court 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.
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Court Information at a Glance
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Location:
Ontario Court of Justice
Old City Hall, Courtroom J
Toronto, Ontario
Judge: The Honourable Mr. Justice Claude Paris
Date / Time: August 25, 2005, 10 a.m.
Defendant: Brady Mechanical Systems Ltd.
Matter: Occupational Health & Safety
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Disponible en français
www.labour.gov.on.ca -30-
For further information: Contacts: Belinda Sutton, Ministry of Labour,
(416) 326-7405; Brian Blumenthal, Crown Counsel, Legal Services Branch,
Ministry of Labour, (416) 326-7948
