HRM 340 ARTICLE
The Welland-based company hired a worker to place structural steel beams where concrete
would be poured for a multi-story building. The guy built the structural steel beams incorrectly.
Precast concrete slabs on the second story of the building weren't doing a good enough job of
supporting the beams. To properly install the steel beams, the prefabricated concrete slabs were
meant to be removed. The business gave the worker orders to break the rebar connection beneath
the concrete slabs and remove the majority of the bolts from the steel beams since the plan was
not progressing quickly enough. Nevertheless, the company failed to inform the worker that
before cutting the rebar, bracing to sustain the concrete slabs needed to be built. After his
disconnect, unavoidably dropped squarely over the worker due to the rebar.The following effects
on the company will result from the economic factors connected to this workplace incident: 2)
the indirect costs, such as fines and legal fees, the negative publicity this loss will entail, a work
pause due to the severity of the incident, and lower morbidity and mortality rates. 1) the direct
costs, such as the effort and time expended investigating the occurrence, the structural damage to
the multi-story structure, and the expenses associated with the worker's death.
The foregoing are some ways that this employment incident's ramifications will affect the
company: The failure to provide the construction worker with the safest working environment
possible, the failure to inform the worker of the necessary steps to ensure his or her safety, and
the overall negative atmosphere and experience of the incident may have contributed to
production problems and low morale. An accident at work brings individuals together in society
and in their communities. A situation like this affects not just the business but also the
community, society, employees, friends, and family. Overall, it is a traumatic experience that
might affect everyone for a very long time.
The general responsibility is a significant requirement that is specifically included in the
Occupational Health and Safety Act. Every health and safety regulation in Canada has a general
duty provision requiring businesses to take all reasonable steps to ensure employee safety.
Because the employer did not take all essential precautions to prevent the workplace death, the
General Duty Act was broken. It is the responsibility of the parties involved, in this case the
Welland-based company, to monitor the workplace, document and report any injuries, and alert
employees to any potential risks. In this case, an overt traumatic injury was caused when
concrete slabs collapsed on top of the worker, killing him. When objects like tools and materials
violently impact someone, harm like this results.
The deadly workplace accident was determined to be the fault of the company that manufactures
and installs structural steel for infrastructure projects by the Ministry of Labor, Training, and
Skills. Bill C-45 added new provisions to the Criminal Code of Canada that make companies
more accountable when workers are killed or badly injured on the job due to managerial
carelessness. Due to the seriousness of this incident, the Ministry of Labour Training and Skills
Development determined that the firm had violated both section 31(1)(b) of the Regulation for
Construction Projects and section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act by failing
to ensure that the concrete slabs were being properly supported, preventing any movement that
could have compromised their stability or resulted in a failure.
In front of the Ontario Court of Justice, which levied the $120,000 punishment, the business
pleaded guilty to these offenses. According to the Provincial Offenses Act, the first fine must be
increased by 25% to account for the victim's expenses. According to the government's procedure,
the fee is allocated to a specific provincial government fund that would lessen victims' suffering.
The law requires employers to ensure that all relevant safety measures are implemented at work.
They involve formulating and disseminating all relevant occupational health and safety policies
and guidelines, making sure all employees are properly taught and aware of their rights and
responsibilities at work, and making sure the workplace is risk-free. The horrific disaster may
have been avoided if the company had prioritized bracing the concrete slabs to prevent
collapsing. Before giving the worker the job, the company ought to have conducted a risk study.
There are interventions that might be put into place with the intention of completely averting the
occurrence, in addition to the several measures an employer may take to guarantee workplace
safety. Control methods are employed to aid in incident prevention. Examples of practical ways
to help with hazard management include choosing a less risky course of action, restricting access
to the hazards, structuring your work to limit exposure to the hazards, distributing protective
gear, providing welfare measures, educating and interacting with the workers, and so on. The
following actions, in my opinion, may have successfully stopped this deadly workplace tragedy.
