Amico Contractors Inc., a Windsor-based construction company, has been fined $80,000 after two workers were injured in a workplace accident.
The incident occurred on July 25, 2022, at a construction project located at 1900 6th Concession Road in LaSalle, Ontario.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the workers were injured when the work platform they were on collapsed. The ministry’s investigation revealed that Amico Contractors Inc. failed to ensure the platform was properly constructed and installed to support the weight of the workers, a requirement under section 134(1)(a) of Regulation 213/91. This failure was found to be a violation of section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The Ontario Court of Justice in Windsor handed down the conviction on May 1, 2024. Justice Shannon Pollock imposed the $80,000 fine following a guilty plea from Amico Contractors Inc. Crown Counsel Mike Nicol represented the prosecution in this case.
Additionally, the court imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, as mandated by the Provincial Offences Act. This surcharge is allocated to a provincial government fund that assists victims of crime.
The accident happened when the workers were setting precast stairs and landings in stair shafts and had constructed a work platform for the task. Shortly after climbing onto the platform, it collapsed, resulting in injuries. The Ministry’s inspection determined that the platform was not built to support all the loads it was likely to encounter, leading to the injuries.
