A Middlesex Centre concrete manufacturer is facing a significant fine after a crane dropped a culvert on a worker, costing him is arm.
Geoffrey Morphew, 39, was one of two employees at Coldstream Concrete's facility on Quaker Lane who were moving three-sided concrete culverts from the bed of a trailer on to the ground with a crane on August 2, 2017. Morphew was rigging the culverts to the crane from the ground, while the other worker operated the crane.
During this procedure a 23,000-kilogram culvert that was suspended five feet in the air broke free from the crane as Morphew was chiseling a metal date plate away. Morphew’s arm was crushed by the large concrete culvert and had to be amputated.
An investigation by the Ministry of Labour determined a pin in the roller chain link connecting the crane's hoist transmission drive socket to the hoist drum socket assembly had failed. This caused the hoist drum to rotate freely and the part of the culvert which had been supported by one end of the crane to fall to the ground.
As a result the ministry found Coldstream Concrete failed to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act by not ensuring material that was temporarily elevated was securely and solidly blocked to prevent it from falling or moving. On Thursday, the company was fined $75,000. A 25 per cent victim fine surcharge was imposed, as required by the Provincial Offences Act to assist victims of crime.
