Construction Accident Results In C$750,000 Fine For Criminal Negligence

In a recent decision, the Ontario Court of Appeal imposed a fine of C$750,000 on an Ontario company, holding that the fine was a "fit fine in the circumstances". The fine was levied in a case where four workers fell to their deaths following the collapse of a swing stage at a highrise construction site. The fine, imposed on the workers' employer, Metron Construction Corporation (Metron), represents nearly a four-fold increase from the C$200,000 fine that had been issued by the trial judge in 2012.

Metron is the first Ontario corporation to be convicted for criminal negligence under the Criminal Code, as amended by Bill C-45, in a matter involving workplace health and safety.

BACKGROUND