TORONTO: Following a trial, Toronto roofing company Semple Gooder Roofing Corporation was found guilty of violating safety laws and was fined $65,000 after a worker was injured on the job.

On December 12, 2011, workers were removing the existing roofing system on a commercial building at 875 Middlefield Road in Toronto so as to install a new one. One of the Semple Gooder Roofing workers was disposing of old roofing material debris over the edge of the roof into a disposal trailer bin on the ground. The worker was using a motorized wheelbarrow-type buggy to move the material.

As the worker reached the edge of the roof, a shirtsleeve became caught on one of the arms of the buggy, causing the worker and buggy to go over the roof edge and fall into the bin below. The worker fell a distance of about 22 feet.

As a result of the fall, the worker suffered multiple injuries that included fractures.

The worker was not using any of the prescribed methods of fall protection as required by the Construction Projects Regulation. The regulation requires workers to be adequately protected from fall hazards with the use of a travel restraint system, fall restraint system, fall arrest system or safety net.

The matter proceeded to trial and the company was found guilty in court on April 8, 2015. Justice of the Peace Mary A. Ross Hendriks imposed the fine in court on May 28, 2015.

In addition to the fine, 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.