GM fined more than $400,000 after worker killed in fall at St. Catharines plant

GM’s Oshawa Assembly Plant as seen from Park Road in Oshawa, Ont. Photo: Adobe Stock

General Motors of Canada has been fined $325,000, plus a victim surcharge, after one of it workers was killed on the job at its plant in St. Catharines, Ont.

On October 22, 2021, two workers were replacing a pneumatic cylinder on a milling machine. One worker was working from inside of the machine and one worker was on top of it. The worker on the top was not wearing any fall protection.

During this undertaking, the worker on top of the machine fell 2.86 metres to the concrete floor below and was fatally injured.

By failing to ensure that the worker on top of the machine was wearing fall protection, General Motors of Canada Company failed to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker, contrary to section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

GM pled guilty in the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines and was fined $325,000. The court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act, bringing the total to more than $400,000. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.