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Senior’s fatality nets Niagara’s Pro-Teck Electric “the largest fine”

March 31, 2016 | By Anthony Capkun


March 31, 2016 – For faulty electrical work that left one man dead, ESA reports 1137749 Ontario Ltd.—dba as Pro-Teck Electric—was fined $537,500 in a Niagara Falls, Ont., court yesterday—the largest fine in the history of electrical contractor licensing in Ontario.

NOTE: Electrical Safety Authority (ESA) doesn’t want you to confuse this Niagara Falls Pro-Teck with a separate LEC in Richmond Hill with a similar name. The two are not related.

ESA explains the facts of the case: in April 2014, a senior fell on the floor in the bathroom of his Niagara-on-the-Lake home where Pro-Teck (a Licensed Electrical Contractor [LEC]) had installed an in-floor heating system. The man suffered 2nd- and 3rd-degree burns from the overheated floor, and eventually succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

An ESA investigation revealed the floor system’s heat sensor had not been installed, and the heating system was wired to an incorrect voltage level.

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Pro-Teck Electric pleaded guilty in April 2015 to charges that included:

• leaving an unsafe electrical condition
• failure to procure connection authorization before use
• failure to apply for an electrical inspection

“We aggressively pursue those who work outside the law, and we’re pleased the court has delivered a strong message that if you break the law and put public safety at risk, there will be serious consequences,” said ESA’s Scott Saint.

The fines include a 25% victim surcharge, which is credited to a provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.


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