NATSCO fined $70,000
NATSCO Mechanical Contractors Inc. Fined $70,000 After Worker Seriously Injured
May 13, 2010 3:15 PM
Sarnia, Ont. – NATSCO Mechanical Contractors Inc., a Sarnia-based company, was fined $70,000 on May 10 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was struck by a 3,500 kilogram pipe and seriously injured.
On November 19, 2007, workers were using a front-end loader to unload large pipes from a truck when one of the pipes fell off the truck. The pipe struck and pinned the truck driver who was standing beside the truck. The pipe was 16 metres in length and 0.91 metres in diameter. The driver received serious leg injuries. The workers were lifting another pipe off of the truck when the incident occurred in the driveway of a NATSCO job site at 426 Polymoore Dr. in St. Clair Township.
After trial, NATSCO Mechanical Contractors Inc. was found guilty of failing as a constructor to ensure that the pipes were moved in a manner that did not endanger the truck driver.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Holly R. Debacker. In addition to the fine, 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.
Court Information at a Glance
Location: Ontario Court of Justice
Sarnia, Ont.
Judge: Justice of the Peace Holly R. Debacker
Date of Conviction: May 10, 2010
Defendants: NATSCO Mechanical Contractors Inc.
Matter: Occupational Health and Safety
Conviction: Ontario Regulation 213/91, Section 37(1)
