Worker was retrieving materials stored on industrial racking at an elevated height
Ideal Supply Inc. – a Mississauga-based tools and parts supplier – has been fined $70,000 after a worker was injured falling from a ladder at the company's Listowel warehouse.
The company – headquartered at 7550 Tranmere Drive in the city – operates multiple facilities across Ontario, including a warehouse and distribution centre in Listowel that employs approximately 130 workers. The company pleaded guilty to violations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act on June 18, 2026.
Justice of the Peace Michael A. Cuthbertson imposed the fine, with Crown Counsel Judy L. Chan prosecuting the case on behalf of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. The case stems from an incident that occurred more than a year earlier, on May 10, 2025.
Details of the Incident
The incident took place at Ideal Supply's warehouse and distribution facility at 1045 Wallace Avenue North in Listowel. A worker was retrieving materials stored on industrial racking at an elevated height when the incident occurred.
While descending the ladder, the worker stepped off the rungs prematurely and fell approximately four feet to the ground. The worker sustained injuries as a result of the fall, according to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.
The specific nature and severity of the worker's injuries were not detailed in the ministry's bulletin. The incident prompted a formal investigation into the company's ladder safety practices at the Listowel site.
Investigation and Charges
Following the fall, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Investigators examined the training, instruction, and supervisory practices in place at the facility regarding ladder use.
The ministry's investigation determined that Ideal Supply had failed to provide the worker with adequate information, instruction and supervision regarding the safe use of ladders. This finding formed the basis of the charges subsequently laid against the company.
As a result of these findings, Ideal Supply was found to have violated section 25(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires employers to provide information, instruction and supervision to protect worker health and safety. The company was also found in violation of section 66(1) of the same act.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) estimates that ladders are involved in around 2 per cent of all workplace incidents in industrialized countries.
While that figure may seem modest, ladders are common to almost every home and workplace, which can create the impression that ladder work requires no special knowledge or skills. Incidents involving ladders are usually caused by using the wrong ladder for the job, using ladders that are defective or in poor condition, improper care or use — including incorrect positioning or securing — and workers not being trained adequately to maintain, use, or work from ladders safely.
As Riane Marrs, an Occupational Health and Safety Specialist at CCOHS, has noted, any industry that uses stepladders should be concerned with stepladder safety, and workers required to use a stepladder should have the instruction and training to do so safely.
Here are some key CCOHS requirements around ladders that employers should keep in mind:
|
Requirement |
CCOHS Guidance |
|
Ladder angle (extension ladders) |
4-to-1 rule: for every four feet of height, the base should sit one foot away from the wall |
|
Points of contact |
Maintain three points of contact at all times (two hands and one foot, or two feet and one hand) |
|
Standing limit |
Do not stand on or above the top three rungs; the higher a person climbs, the greater the risk the ladder will slip at the base |
|
Fall protection threshold |
A safety harness, tied to a proper anchor, should be worn when working 3 m (10 ft) or more off the ground, or when working with both hands |
|
Ladder duty ratings |
Ladders are graded by duty rating: light duty (Grade 3), medium duty (Grade 2), and heavy duty (Grade 1) |
|
Standard referenced |
CSA Standard Z11-18 (R2022), Portable Ladders |
|
Number of users |
Only one person permitted on a single-width ladder; one person per side on a double-width ladder |
