Another worker killed, another criminal investigation needed
(TORONTO) -- Ontario Federation of Labour president Sid Ryan is calling for a criminal investigation into yet another worker death.
A construction worker died in hospital following a 30-foot fall while working on a building on the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto on Friday, March 12.
“I hope the Toronto Police Service use Bill C-45 to determine if the contractor neglected responsibilities to protect workers from harm, and if evidence warrants it, to lay criminal charges against the employer,” says Ryan.
Bill C-45 amended the Criminal Code of Canada in 2004 to allow for criminal prosecutions of corporate executives, directors and managers who act wrongfully or neglect to uphold their responsibilities to make and keep workplaces healthy and safe.
“This was the seventh fall-related fatality in as many weeks,” Ryan says of the March 12 incident. “ This was another preventable death. The carnage in our workplaces has to stop. Employers have to get the message that if they kill a worker, they will go to jail.”
The fatality was also a chilling reminder of the need for the Ontario government to move quickly and decisively to protect workers, said Ryan. The government announced in January that an expert panel would conduct a comprehensive review of the occupational health and safety system and recommend necessary changes. The panel has yet to be established.
While the government dithers about what to do, said Ryan, the police in Sault Ste. Marie are taking action.
Millennium Crane Rentals Ltd. will appear in court on March 22 on charges of criminal negligence causing death following a fatal accident on a construction project in Sault Ste. Marie last spring.
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A construction worker died in hospital following a 30-foot fall while working on a building on the Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto on Friday, March 12.
“I hope the Toronto Police Service use Bill C-45 to determine if the contractor neglected responsibilities to protect workers from harm, and if evidence warrants it, to lay criminal charges against the employer,” says Ryan.
Bill C-45 amended the Criminal Code of Canada in 2004 to allow for criminal prosecutions of corporate executives, directors and managers who act wrongfully or neglect to uphold their responsibilities to make and keep workplaces healthy and safe.
“This was the seventh fall-related fatality in as many weeks,” Ryan says of the March 12 incident. “ This was another preventable death. The carnage in our workplaces has to stop. Employers have to get the message that if they kill a worker, they will go to jail.”
The fatality was also a chilling reminder of the need for the Ontario government to move quickly and decisively to protect workers, said Ryan. The government announced in January that an expert panel would conduct a comprehensive review of the occupational health and safety system and recommend necessary changes. The panel has yet to be established.
While the government dithers about what to do, said Ryan, the police in Sault Ste. Marie are taking action.
Millennium Crane Rentals Ltd. will appear in court on March 22 on charges of criminal negligence causing death following a fatal accident on a construction project in Sault Ste. Marie last spring.
Contact:
Sid Ryan
President, Ontario Federation of Labour
p: 416.209.0066 (mobile)
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