Ontario roofing company fined $110K after man killed in fall while working on a school portable

(David Smith/Adobe Stock)

A roofing company in Brantford, Ont., has been fined $110,000 after a worker — who was not wearing fall protection — was killed after falling off a roof.

On July 30, 2021, five workers were on the rooftop of a portable classroom at an elementary school in Hamilton.

None of the workers were wearing fall protection, nor were there guardrails or barriers around the roof perimeter of the portable.

Two of the workers began unrolling a roll of membrane along the roof. In doing so, one walked backwards towards the edge of the roof. The other worker called out “edge is coming up”; however, it was too late.

The worker fell backwards off the roof onto the asphalt pavement, 3.26 metres below, sustaining fatal injuries.

Jackson Roofing & Son Contracting Inc. failed to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed by section 26.1(2) of Regulation 213/91 were carried out at a workplace, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice, Jackson Roofing & Son Contracting Inc. was fined $110,000. The court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act.