Ontario Construction News staff writer
An Ottawa residential construction company has been fined $55,000 following a serious workplace accident in 2022. Claridge Homes, which pleaded guilty to breaching the Ontario Health and Safety Act, will also be subject to a 25-percent victim fine surcharge.
The incident occurred on October 25, 2022, at a high-rise construction site on Carling Avenue in Ottawa. The worker, employed by a subcontracted company, was injured while assisting in lifting a peri box filled with formwork components to an upper slab. During the lift, the load began to swing and moved towards the worker, resulting in critical injuries.
An investigation by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development revealed that Claridge Homes failed to use a tag line or guide rope to stabilize the peri box, as mandated by section 179(1) of Ontario Regulation 213/91. This oversight led to a violation of section 23(1)(a) of the Ontario Health and Safety Act.
