Fall Protection Violation Leads to Fatality and $125,000 Fine

A worker not wearing fall protection while repairing a ventilation system on the roof of a school took a step backward and plunged 5.16 metres to his death. The New Brunswick Provincial Court rejected the employer’s due diligence defence and imposed a $125,000 fine for a fall protection violation. According to the judge, cthe absence of fall protection equipment and fall protection knowledge by workers and direct supervisors at the site was directly linked to the fact that the employer didn’t have an OHS program [District Scolaire Francophone Nord-Est, NB Provincial Court, unreported, December 4, 2020].