Nelco Mechanical Limited Fined $65,000 After Worker Injured
May 3, 2010 2:00 PM
Toronto, Ont. - Nelco Mechanical Limited, a Kitchener company that installs and maintains heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) units, was fined $65,000 on April 28 for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.
On May 26, 2008, two Nelco workers were using a crane to remove an HVAC unit from the roof of a Toronto business. A few days earlier, Nelco's site supervisor told the workers that the power to the HVAC unit was disconnected. The workers attached the unit to the crane and started to lift it when they noticed the power cable was still attached. Believing that the cable was de-energized, one of the workers used sheet metal cutters to cut it. The worker was electrocuted, lost consciousness and collapsed.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the unit's power supply had not been disconnected. The voltage of the cable was 600 volts.
Nelco Mechanical Limited pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the power supply to the HVAC unit was disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before, and while, any work was done.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Joanna T. Opalinski. 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
60 Queen St. W., Courtroom C
Toronto, Ont.
Judge: Justice of the Peace Joanna T. Opalinski
Date of Conviction: April 28, 2010
Defendant: Nelco Mechanical Limited
Matter: Occupational Health and Safety
Conviction: Ontario Regulation 213/91, Section 190(4)
Contacts
- Matt Blajer
Communications Branch
416-326-7405
Ministry of Labour
ontario.ca/labour