Montreal-based company pleads guilty, fined $130,000
for health and safety violation causing death

 

By: Canada NewsWire

Sep 20, 2007

NAPANEE, ON (CNW) -- Riviera Inc., a St. Laurent, Quebec-based manufacturer of men's clothing, has been fined $130,000 in the Ontario Court of Justice for failing to ensure safe work procedures at its Napanee manufacturing plant.

Riviera pleaded guilty on September 19, 2007, in relation to an incident on October 17, 2005, in which a self-employed electrician was fatally injured. The electrician had been hired by Riviera to repair three defective relay switches in three locations at the plant and was found dead from electrocution at the site of the third and final repair.

Court heard the electrical circuit being repaired had not been de-energized and there was no lock-out in place to ensure the circuit remained de-energized while work was performed. Riviera, as an employer, is responsible for the health and safety of all workers, including independent contractors.

The Ministry of Labour investigation concluded that the fatality could have been prevented had the employer taken necessary steps to ensure that the circuit had been locked out and de-energized as required by the Industrial Regulations and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Riviera pleaded guilty to failing, as an employer, to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker at a workplace located at 444 Advance Ave., Napanee, contrary to section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Donna Doelman of the Ontario Court of Justice in Napanee. In addition, 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.