Fall Through Unguarded Floor Opening Results in $13,000 Fine

At a building at the University of Manitoba, two floor access panels were removed by workers to facilitate the lowering of a 2,200 lb. spool of wire to the basement. Workers temporarily left the worksite to retrieve the spool. While they were gone, another worker fell 14.5 feet through the opening to the ground below, sustaining serious injuries. The university pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that a guardrail system was in place to protect workers from falling through a floor opening. The court fined it $13,000 [University of Manitoba, Govt. News Release, May 9, 2017].