Worker Dies in Fall from Steel Beam Being Loaded on Truck

Two workers were loading steel beams onto a truck. When the truck was loaded, one of the workers climbed onto the load to ensure the beams were stable and help strap them down. While he was standing on the load, he told the other worker to use a forklift to move a beam closer to the middle of the truck. The beam slipped off the forks and knocked the worker standing on the load off the truck. He fell 2.9 metres to the ground and sustained fatal injuries. The steel company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that materials were lifted, carried or moved in a way that didn’t endanger a worker and was fined $75,000 [Encore Steel, Govt. News Release, June 3, 2013].