Fall of Equipment Through Opening Results in $187,500 Fine

A worker was using heavy equipment to place a portable steel bumper near the edge of an opening that was created when ore was extracted underground. The equipment fell over the edge of the opening, falling approximately 120 feet to the ground below. The employer pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the placement of a bumper by a worker was performed in a safe manner and was fined $187,500 [Vale Canada Ltd., Govt. News Release, June 18, 2014].