Incident occurred during removal of five streetlight posts
An electrical contracting company based in Navan has been fined $50,000 following a workplace incident that left a worker injured when a concrete streetlight post fell during a hoisting operation in Ottawa.
Sega Group Inc. pleaded guilty in Ontario Provincial Offences Court in Ottawa on May 22, 2025, according to a court bulletin from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Justice of the Peace Andrew Seymour imposed the fine, with Crown counsel Tianna Gomes prosecuting the case.
The incident occurred on July 12, 2023, at the intersection of Century Rd. and Manotick Main St. in Ottawa. Workers from Sega Group Inc. were removing the first of five concrete streetlight posts on the east side of Manotick Main St. as part of a replacement project.
The post being removed had a poured concrete base, making it extremely heavy. To prevent it from falling, a crane truck operator hoisted the post and attempted to lower it to the ground. However, while lowering the post, the operator pressed the button that released the clamp holding the top of the structure. The concrete post toppled, injuring a worker nearby.
A ministry investigation revealed that the crane operator did not possess a crane training certificate and lacked sufficient experience and knowledge to operate the equipment safely, according to the court bulletin.
The company was convicted of failing, as an employer, to ensure that measures and procedures prescribed by s. 150(2)(a) of Ontario Regulation 213/91 (Construction Projects) were carried out. This violated s. 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Specifically, Sega Group Inc. failed to ensure that no worker operated a crane or similar hoisting device unless trained in its safe operation, contrary to provincial regulations.
In addition to the $50,000 fine, the court imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act, according to the ministry bulletin. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
Crane safety regulations
Workplace safety and regulatory compliance are receiving increasing attention. Analysts noted that firms are under pressure to strengthen training, supervision, and hazard controls to prevent injuries and fatalities.
In British Columbia, WorkSafeBC updated its penalties database in December 2025 to include about $1.3 million in administrative penalties related to crane‑safety violations in 2024 and 2025. The fines were levied against EllisDon Corporation and Newway Concrete Forming for multiple crane incidents, including one that resulted in the death of a worker at a high‑rise construction site in Vancouver and others where loads fell due to inadequate lift planning and rigging failures.
WorkSafeBC officials said these penalties reflect the financial and regulatory consequences for high‑risk violations and repeated non‑compliance, particularly as the number of cranes in operation and the complexity of multi‑employer worksites increase.
