Ontario fines construction firm for incident involving overhead wires in Port Perry, Ont.

Coco Paving Inc. has been fined $50,000 for a workplace incident involving an excavator and energized wires, though no workers were injured.

The company had been hired by Durham region to install an underground waste pipe in Port Perry, Ont. and while work was underway last February, the boom of an excavator was raised, coming into contact with live overhead wires.

While there had been a spotter on-site a day earlier to guide the excavator operator around the wires, no signaller was in place when the incident occurred. For failing to ensure a worker was assigned to serve as a spotter, the province said Coco Paving violated the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The company pleaded guilty to the offence in a Whitby courtroom Nov. 6.