Paris Holdings and Sergerie Mechanical fined for work place injury

Paris Holdings (2113467 Ontario Inc.) and Sergerie Mechanical (1633777 Ontario Inc.), both Cornwall-based companies, were fined $60,000 and $50,000 respectively on July 14, 2010, for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused injuries to a worker. Supervisor Tim Sergerie was fined $6,000 for a related offense.
 

 

On August 22, 2008, five workers at a demolition project at 800 Second Street West in Cornwall were removing corrugated metal decking and insulation from a storage building roof at a former paper mill. One of the workers stepped where the metal decking had already been removed and fell 8.5 metres (28 feet) to the ground below. The worker was seriously injured.

Ministry of Labour investigators found that the workers were wearing safety harnesses but the harnesses were not connected to safety lines securely attached to anchor points on the roof.

Paris Holdings and Sergerie Mechanical pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that workers were adequately protected from falling.

On August 25, 2008 Ministry of Labour investigators returned to the scene to find that four secured safety ropes had been added to the scene despite orders that the scene not be disturbed.

Supervisor Tim Sergerie pleaded guilty to interfering with and disturbing the scene of a critical injury without the permission of a Ministry of Labour inspector.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Louise E. Rozon. 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.