Company Director Fined $50,000 for Christmas Eve Scaffolding Tragedy

A swing stage platform collapsed on Dec. 24, 2009, resulting in the deaths of four construction workers and very serious injuries to another. A forensic examination of the swing stage found that it wasn’t fit for its intended use as fabricated. In particular, the welds on the platform were inadequate. The scaffolding company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a suspended platform and/or a component was in good condition and was fined $350,000. A company director also pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a suspended platform was in good condition and that a platform weighing more than 525 kg was designed by a professional engineer in accordance with good engineering practice. The court fined him $25,000 for each count [Swing N Scaff Inc. and Patrick Deschamps, Govt. News Release, Dec. 4, 2014].