Lakehead Roofing & Metal Cladding, a Thunder Bay roofing company, was fined $50,000 in an Ontario Court of Justice in Sault Ste. Marie after a worker fell and suffered serious leg injuries in 2012.
On May 29, 2012, a worker was removing materials from a roof as part of a re-roofing project at an industrial establishment in Sault Ste. Marie. The worker was using a fall arrest system with a safety line connected to an anchor point. The worker moved to assist two others at another part of the roof but did not shorten the lifeline before going over to help. The lifeline was slack while the worker assisted the other roofers. When a concrete slab broke underfoot, the worker fell 14.3 metres before the fall arrest system engaged. The worker suffered serious leg injuries.
Lakehead Roofing & Metal Cladding Ltd. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the fall arrest system was arranged to prevent a worker from falling to hit the ground or an object below the work.
The fine, plus a 25-per-cent victim surcharge, was imposed by Justice of the Peace Philip Stanghetta.
