Owen Sound’s Pickard Construction Fined $200,000 After Worker Injured in Live Power Line Incident
Pickard Construction was found in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and fined $200,000 after a workplace incident left a worker critically injured by a live hydro line.
An Owen Sound-based telecommunications installation company, Pickard Construction, has been fined $200,000 following a serious workplace incident that left a worker critically injured.
The fine, imposed on October 1, 2024, follows the company’s guilty plea for failing to implement necessary safety precautions to protect employees from nearby energized electrical hazards.
The incident occurred on June 24, 2022, at a project site in the Township of Tiny, Ontario, where Pickard Construction workers were attempting to clear a blockage from a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipe used in fiber-optic installations. HDPE pipes are pre-roped with traceable mule tape, which is used to help workers locate underground pipes after installation.
Two workers were using compressed air to blow a tangled blockage of mule tape through the pipe by inserting the nozzle of a portable air compressor.
As the blockage cleared, the mule tape was propelled into the air, crossing over a live hydro line. A worker standing at the opposite end of the pipe was critically injured as the tape made contact with the electrical line. A supervisor was also present at the scene.
Following an investigation, Ontario's Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development found that Pickard Construction had failed to take required precautions to prevent hazards posed by energized electrical equipment, installations, and conductors.
The ministry determined that the company had violated section 183 of Ontario Regulation 213/91, which sets standards for safety around live electrical equipment, and section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The conviction was handed down in Provincial Offences Court in Barrie, where Justice of the Peace Douglas Conley imposed the $200,000 fine. Additionally, a 25% victim fine surcharge was applied, as mandated by the Provincial Offences Act. This surcharge contributes to a provincial fund supporting victims of crime.
Since the incident, Pickard Construction has introduced written safety procedures specifically for the use of compressed air to clear HDPE pipes. The company, which had been contracted to install fiber-optic lines to expand rural high-speed internet access in southwestern Ontario, implemented these changes to prevent future accidents.
Sources:
‘Workplace Injury Results in $200,000 Fine for Owen Sound Company,’ Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Government of Ontario.
Owen Sound company fined $200,000 after workplace injury, OHSCanada.com.