LONDON, Ont. -- An Ontario company has been fined $100,000 in connection with the electrocution death of a young worker and injuries to several others who were erecting a tent for a wedding.
The Ministry of Labour says Signature Events Rental Shoppe pleaded guilty to charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in connection to the August 2013 incident near Watford, west of London, Ont.
Court heard a crew of six seasonal workers, all 25 years old or younger, was sent to a property to set up a tent in advance of a wedding.
As one of the tent poles was being put up it came into contact with an overhead electrical line, sending electric current down the pole into the ground, which was saturated with rainfall.
Five of the six workers were injured by the initial shock and a secondary shock was delivered to some of the workers who were lying on the ground.
Two workers in the crew were able to drag the others away from the pole and began CPR on two of the victims but one of the workers, later identified as a 21-year-old London man, did not survive.
Other workers suffered burns and dislocations.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that none of the workers had received safety training and that there had been no training in dealing with hazards such as overhead power lines.
No one from the business assessed the area in advance or asked for information about utilities and it was also found that the company failed to ensure that materials were lifted or moved safely, as required by law.
The London-based company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the health and safety of workers was protected, and failing to provide adequate information, instruction and supervision to workers about the hazards of overhead electrical wires as required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
