Ontario Construction Company Charged in Garage-Door Death – May 12th, 2008

May 12th, 2008

I have several Google News Alerts (a tool that e-mails you news stories related to keywords of your choosing) that help keep me abreast of industry-related issues. Typically, “garage door” keywords turn up short blurbs on break-ins where burglars entered through open doors. But the last week has returned more grisly results.

Several Ontario newspapers reported on the charges brought against a construction company and one of its supervisors in the death of a 3-year-old boy when a garage door struck him at his family’s home.

Concrete Finishes Niagra was hired to fix the family’s garage floor, and its employees were on-site when the incident occurred.
The company has been charged by the Ontario Ministry of Labour under the Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to ensure regulated measures and procedures were carried out at the workplace. Specifically, the company was accused of failing to ensure the garage door was adequately braced to prevent failure or collapse and failing to block off the project with an adequate fence. The same two charges were brought against a supervisor for a total of four charges.

Details of the incident, which occurred more than a year ago, are unclear, and only one report mentions the father’s accusation that “a worker released the handle of the garage door opener, causing it to come down.”

This a tragic story to see reported in any country – let alone one so similar to the United States by way of regulation and law. It is particularly sad to hear about as we approach June: National Garage Door Safety Month. We are reminded now more than ever the importance of safety in our industry.

Be sure to check out our June issue for several safety-minded stories, including topics such as educating your customers about the importance of their garage door’s safety features and preventing potentially fatal distractions common in any workplace.

Source : Professional Door Dealer