June 23, 2008

Ottawa construction worker dies in paving machine accident

VINCE VERSACE

staff writer

A 30-year-old construction worker is dead after being crushed at an Ottawa area project site.

The accident occurred at a west-end Ottawa site last Tuesday, June 17, 2008. The worker was an employee of Torus Construction Limited, a firm subcontracted to Ottawa Greenbelt Construction.

“The worker was struck and crushed by a track-mounted concrete paver,” says Bruce Skeaff, Ministry of Labour spokesperson.

Paramedics were unable to revive the man after he was crushed under the tracks of the paver.

Torus is a Nepean-based company servicing Ottawa and the surrounding area and specializes in sidewalks, curbs, walls, pads, steps and asphalt paving. Ottawa Greenbelt is a Gloucester- based excavating contractor.

Ottawa police and the Ontario Ministry of Labour are investigating.

Ministry of Labour records indicate that Ottawa Greenbelt Construction was fined $125,000 on Nov. 24, 2003 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in serious leg injuries to an employee.

In 2002, a worker was assisting in an air pressure test for leakage in newly-laid, high-pressure concrete pipes when a joint failed on one of the pipes causing it to be ejected at a high velocity. The incident occurred at a City of Ottawa water main project.

Ottawa Greenbelt pleaded guilty, as an employer, to failing to take the reasonable precaution of following hydrostatic testing procedures for a water main.

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