Incorrect bolts used before pipe gave way
Trade-Mark Industrial Inc. has been fined $80,000 after a worker was injured by a falling pipe during maintenance work at Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation in Whitby.
The Cambridge company pleaded guilty on March 3, according to Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Louis Bourgon.
The case stems from an incident on May 10, 2023, when a section of pipe gave way while work was underway on a furnace installation.
According to the ministry, the worker had been instructed by a supervisor to install a butterfly valve on a horizontal cooling pipe. During the job, the pipefitter told the foreman that the bolts available were not the correct ones for the task. The foreman nevertheless directed the worker to use those bolts temporarily until the proper ones could be brought in.
At the other end of the same cooling pipe, another crew had been assigned to switch and reposition two attached pipe skids. When the pipe was lifted slightly to create clearance, the unsupported connection on the south side failed, causing the pipe to fall and strike the worker.
“The company failed, as an employer, to ensure that every part of the project, including a temporary structure, was adequately braced to prevent any movement that could affect the pipe’s stability or cause its failure or collapse,” a ministry news release said.
Under Ontario law, employers are required to take every reasonable precaution to protect workers, including ensuring that materials and equipment are properly secured during construction or maintenance activities.
The court also applied a mandatory 25% victim fine surcharge, which is added to all provincial fines and directed to a fund supporting victims of crime.
