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Rockwood construction company fined
February 13, 2020

Rockwood construction company fined $125K and given probation after worker’s death at Toronto airport

A Rockwood construction company has been fined $125,000 after a worker died at Billy Bishop Airport in Toronto in March 2018.

A court bulletin from the province notes Vixman Construction Limited was also sentenced to 18 months probation for contravening the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

A woman who answered the phone at Vixman Construction on Wednesday and did not identify herself said the company had no comment.

On March 27, 2018, workers for the construction company was installing corrugated steel sheeting to create a roof over walkways at the airport between the gates and the tarmac.

Two workers were using self-retracting lifelines for fall protection and had full body harnesses.

“All of the fall protection equipment was appropriate for the tasks involved and functioning properly,” the court bulletin said.

As they moved along, the workers also moved the anchors for their self-retracting lifelines. One of the workers moved his to an upright column.

As he worked over an open area, the self-retracting lifeline block went over the edge of the installed sheeting, the bulletin said.

“As it was attached to a vertical column, and not to a horizontal member, the block dropped until its mechanism engaged. This exerted a pulling force on the worker’s body and he fell from the work surface,” the bulletin said. 

The man hit the ground and suffered fatal injuries.

“The court found that the [self-retracting lifeline] had not been attached to a fixed support, and that the length of the extended lifeline, over an open area, was not a safe configuration of the fall protection equipment,” the bulletin said.

Keep reading on CBC News

Read the official Ontario of Ontario Court Bulletin here

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