BURLINGTON, ON, March 26 /CNW/ - Strongco Limited Partnership, a Burlington company that sells, rents and services mobile industrial equipment, was fined $50,000 on March 23, 2009, for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), after a worker was injured.

On February 21, 2007, a worker employed by Strongco Limited Partnership was mounting a rectangular steel component, a torsion box, onto the chassis of a truck. A crane was used to lift the approximately 638-kilogram box onto the chassis. The worker was steadying the moving box when the box pushed the worker's arm against another piece of equipment, causing a fracture.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that guide ropes were not used to prevent rotation of the box when it was lifted.

Strongco Limited Partnership pleaded guilty under the OHSA to failing, as an employer, to ensure that the crane was operated with one or more guide ropes to prevent rotation or other uncontrolled motion of the torsion box.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Barry Quinn. In addition to the fine, the court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge on the total, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

CORNWALL, ON, March 9 /CNW/ - Gerpro Construction Inc. from Chateauguay, Quebec and Construction Bao Inc. from Montreal, Quebec were fined $100,000 and $105,000 respectively on March 4, 2009, for violations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), after a worker was seriously injured.

On August 20, 2007, Gerpro Construction Inc. was building a retirement home on 4th St. E. in Cornwall. The company had hired Construction Bao Inc. to stucco the outside of the building. A worker employed by Construction Bao Inc. was on a scaffold applying stucco to the side of the building, about 13 metres above the ground. When the worker attempted to descend to the ground below by using a rope and pulley system installed to transport materials, the worker lost balance and fell to the ground, sustaining serious injuries that resulted in paralysis.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the scaffold had no stairs, runways, ramps or ladders to allow easy movement between the interior of the building, the scaffold and the ground.

Gerpro Construction Inc. pleaded guilty under the OHSA to failing, as a constructor, to ensure that access to and egress from a work area located above ground level was by stairs, runway, ramp or ladder. Construction Bao Inc. pleaded guilty under the OHSA to failing, as an employer, to ensure the same.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Basile V. Marchand. In addition to the fines, the court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge on the total, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.