Ski Hill Operator Fined $70,000 After Worker Killed, Another Injured
Thunder Bay, ON – Loch Lomond Ski Area Limited, operator of a Thunder Bay ski hill, was fined $70,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after one worker was killed and another was injured.
On September 2, 2009, two workers were replacing shingles on the roof of a ski chalet. The metal ladder they used to access the roof came into contact with a live overhead electrical conductor. One of the workers was fatally electrocuted and the other was seriously injured.
Loch Lomond Ski Area Limited pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the workers did not use a metal ladder while working in proximity to a live overhead electrical conductor.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Robert Michels. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.