ST. JACOBS, ONT. — Civil infrastructure and material supply company Steed and Evans Ltd. of St. Jacobs, Ont. has been fined after a construction worker was struck by a vehicle at a construction project on Elliott Avenue and Harpin Way in Fergus.
According to an Ontario government court bulletin, on June 10, 2022, a worker was parging previously installed sewer chambers in the middle of a roadway. This involved reaching into the sewer chamber and applying a coat of mixed cement to the inside collar of the chamber to fill in gaps and cracks.
While performing this task on the ground beside the sewer chamber, another worker drove through the area and struck the first worker, causing critical injuries.
At the time of the incident, the worker on the ground was wearing a high visibility vest and was performing the task alone. There were no traffic control measures in place around the worker, or any barriers or warning signs around the workspace.
The bulletin also states the road where the work was taking place was unassumed and was not open to public traffic, but it was still accessible to vehicular traffic and was regularly used for construction vehicles and equipment.
An investigation by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development determined Steed and Evans Ltd. failed to position adequate warning signs or barriers to protect a worker performing work on a roadway. The company also failed to ensure the measures and procedures as prescribed by  of Ontario Regulation 213/91 were carried out at the workplace, contrary to  of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Following a guilty plea in the Provincial Offences Court in Guelph, Steed and Evans Ltd. was fined $70,000 by Justice of the Peace Michael Cuthbertson. The company was convicted on Nov. 15, 2024.
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