Ottawa roofing company fined $80k after workers catch fire on the job
By The Canadian Press
OTTAWA – An Ottawa roofing company has been fined $80,000 after two of its employees caught fire during a job, leaving one with critical injuries.
The Ministry of Labour says Ottawa Permanent Roofing was sentenced Monday on occupational health and safety violations in connection with the July 2017 incident.
The ministry says the company was hired to install a new roof on a home and second-storey balcony, but an adhesive used in installing the balcony membrane caught fire.
It says the flames spread to two employees and one received serious burns to the arms, legs and torso.
The ministry says there was no fire extinguisher on the balcony, there were no written emergency instructions and workers didn’t have “adequate means” of getting off the balcony in an emergency.
It says regulations require that each project have written emergency procedures, and workers have access to a fire extinguisher and a means of evacuation.
Copyright (c) 2017 The Canadian Press
