Mattress Seller Fined $60,000 After Delivery Helper Is Struck by Car

A worker employed by a mattress seller as a delivery helper was making an evening delivery with a co-worker at an apartment building. The co-worker, who was driving a 5-tonne straight truck, needed to reverse out of the building’s driveway. Because the co-worker didn’t have a view of the passing traffic, the delivery helper stood across the street in the furthest eastbound lane to stop traffic and signal the truck to back out onto the road. While doing so, he was struck by an approaching car, and suffered broken bones and other critical injuries. At the time, it was dark and he was wearing a black-and-grey uniform jacket and black pants, and wasn’t wearing any high visibility safety apparel. The mattress seller pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that workers required to direct vehicular traffic were provided with high visibility safety apparel and was fined $60,000 [Sleep Country Canada Inc., Govt. News Release, April 6, 2017].