Tarping flatdeck load without fall protection gear nets $30K fine

INNISFIL, Ont. — No one was hurt, but an Ontario company was fined $30,000 because someone could’ve been, when working on top of a flatbed trailer without a safety harness or other fall protection equipment.

A Ministry of Labour inspector was at a Jebco industrial workplace in February 2013 when he saw workers using a platform mounted to the blades of a forklift to tarp a flatbed load. The inspector watched as the worker climbed from the forklift onto the load, about 13 ft from the ground, and then perched on the edge of the load while trying to tarp it.

“The Occupational Health and Safety Act and Ontario Regulation 851 require that any worker exposed to the hazard of falling more than three metres must wear a safety belt or harness and lifeline (a fall arrest system),” the Ministry of Labour pointed out when announcing its punishment this week. In addition to the $30,000 fine, the company also had to pay a 25% victim fine surcharge. That money is used to assist victims of crime.

“Unsafe working at heights is one of the leading causes of fatalities and hazards at Ontario workplaces,” the Ministry announced.