Equipment transport firm fined for float trailer overturn that killed Brampton, Ont. worker in 2013

BRAMPTON, Ont.—A Toronto-area company that specializes in transporting heavy equipment is facing an $85,000 fine after an Ontario appeal judge sided with the crown in a case that involved a 2013 workplace death.

The incident took place on May 25, 2013 at a construction site in Brampton, Ont. near James Potter Road.

According to the Ministry of Labour, a worker was off-loading a curb machine from a float trailer when one of the machine’s offset wheels dropped into a gap between the trailer’s ramps. The machine overturned, and the worker, who was backing the curb machine off the ramp, was crushed.

The crown argued Cobra Float Services Inc. should have provided the worker with a trailer that had a continuous ramp across the entire width of the trailer, as opposed to one with gaps. The appeal judge found the company had contravened the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act by failing to ensure the piece of heavy equipment was moved in a way that would not endanger workers.

The $85,000 fine, plus a standard 25 per cent victim surcharge, was handed down in a Brampton court March 19.