Company Fined $50,000 for Collapse of Reinforcing Cage on Workers

A company was hired to undertake construction of a foundation for a new hydro tower. Workers used a crane to remove a cylindrical cage made of rebar from a flatbed truck. Two workers were standing in the cage, removing some of the internal braces. They’d removed a number of the braces and handed them to their supervisor, who was outside the cage, when it collapsed, trapping them. They each suffered minor injuries. The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a part of a project, including a temporary structure, was adequately braced to prevent any movement that may affect its stability or cause its failure or collapse. The court fined it $50,000 [Anchor Shoring & Caissons Ltd., Govt. News Release, March 24, 2017].