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Airport runway mishap lands fine for Sudbury paver

Pioneer Construction assessed $62,500 fine for slip-and-fall accident
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A slip-and-fall accident on a Thunder Bay airport runway proved costly for Pioneer Construction.

The Sudbury paver entered a guilty plea and was fined for $50,000 in a Thunder Bay court by Justice of the Peace John H. Guthrie on May 25.

A 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge was tacked on, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.

On July 29 2016, Pioneer Construction was contracted to resurface the asphalt of the north runway of the Thunder Bay International Airport.

The operator of a float truck operator was working near the north runway securing a mobile office unit to the vehicle. Chains were attached to the unit and a loader hoisted placed it onto the truck.

The worker placed a ladder on the deck of the truck to get to the top of unit and detach the chains. While doing this, the ladder slipped backwards and down, causing bodily injuries to the worker who lost consciousness.

The ladder had not been secured at the top and the bottom to prevent movement.

Pioneer Construction was deemed to have failed to comply with the section 82(2)(d) of the Construction Projects Regulation (Ontario Regulation 213/91), as required by section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.