Ontario employer fined $175,000 for employee’s death

Coils had an outside diameter of 63 to 72 inches, a width of 12 to 14 inches, and a weight of 9,600 to 13,200 pounds. The coil was free-standing on the concrete floor and had no means or side supports to prevent it from rolling or tipping over.

As the forklift operator was placing a coil, the fork of the forklift made contact with another coil. This caused a domino effect, with three coils toppling over, killing a worker who was standing between the two coils.

“The employer had not taken specific measures and procedures to protect the safety of workers as provided for in paragraph 45(a) of Industrial Regulation 851/91. Materials must be transported, placed or stored so that they do not tip over, collapse or fall,” the Ontario government said. “Therefore, the employer has violated section 25 1c of the Industrial Safety and Health Act.”