Two firms have been fined a total of $170,000 in connection with a 2022 incident that killed a greenhouse worker in Leamington.
The Ontario Ministry of Labour said that following guilty pleas, FHES Ontario Ltd. and Lebo Farms Ltd., both based in Leamington, were fined after a worker died while installing weather stripping on a greenhouse roof. Lebo Farms will pay $100,000 of the total while FHES Ontario will pay the rest.
FHES is an employment agency while Lebo Farms is a greenhouse constructor, according to the report from the Ministry of Labour.
On January 10, 2022, workers employed by FHES Ontario were at a greenhouse on Mersea Road 8 in Staples, installing vent glass and accompanying weather strips on a glass greenhouse roof being built by Lebo Farms. One worker was using a raised metal trolley platform that had no guardrails, so those who used it needed to use a fall arrest harness connected to a platform.
The worker fell through the glass panel 25 feet before landing, killing him.
The investigation into the tragedy showed that the lanyard connecting the harness to the platform was not installed properly.
"FHES as an employer did not ensure that the worker had received appropriate information and supervision in the use of the installation platform-glazing trolley cart," read the Ministry of Labour's report. "Lebo Farms, as the constructor with overall onsite safety responsibilities, did not ensure that the worker was wearing appropriate fall arrest protection while on the roof."
Judge Ronald Marion of the Ontario Court of Justice has also ordered a 25 per cent per victim fine surcharge. The money brought in from that will be placed in a provincial government fund set up to help crime victims.