November 17, 2017 —Bondfield Construction Company Ltd., J.M.R. Electric Ltd. and Toromont Industries Ltd. have been fined a total of $460,000 after a worker was injured during the construction of the South West Detention Centre (SWDC) in Windsor, Ont.

In May 2013, while the SWDC was under construction, the worker was cleaning a circuit breaker compartment with a conductive tool. The worker made contact with live electricity and was injured in an arc flash that produced a large ball of fire. Another worker used a fire extinguisher to put out the flames. The injured worker required hospitalization.

After a trial, Bondfield Construction, the contractor in charge of the project, and J.M.R. Electric, which was contracted by Bondfield to perform electrical installations, were convicted on two counts and fined $175,000 and $75,000, respectively.

Toromont Industries, contracted with J.M.R. Electric for part of the electrical work and the employer of the injured worker, was convicted on three counts and fined $210,000.

The companies were found guilty of violating Ontario Regulation 213/91 (the Construction Projects Regulation), including violating section 190(4), which states that the power supply to electrical equipment, installation or conductor must be disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before work and during work.

Additionally, they violated section 184(1), which says that no one, except for the person authorized to do so by the supervisor in charge of the project, will enter or be allowed to enter a room or enclosure containing exposed energized electrical parts.

Toromont Industries was also convicted of violating section 187: “tools, ladders, scaffolding and other equipment or materials capable of conducting electricity shall not be stored or used so close to energized electrical equipment, installations or conductors that they can make electrical contact.”

The court also imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge.