Coldstream Concrete fined in forktruck incident

Coldstream Concrete Limited, a manufacturer of precast concrete products for the construction and drainage industries, based in Ilderton, Ontario, was fined $75,000 in provincial court.

The company pleaded guilty to violating the Occupation Health and Safety Act after a worker was critically injured in a forktruck collision.

On the day of the incident in July 2022, a worker was operating various lifting devices at the company’s facility in Ilderton. The lifts were used to move concrete products in and out of a casting area located inside the company’s main building.

After delivering a product to the casting area, the worker returned to an outdoor yard using a forklift to collect another piece.

While approaching a ramp that led to the main building, the forklift collided with a front-end loader travelling down the ramp. The collision resulted in critical injuries to the forklift operator.

A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation determined that the incident could have been avoided had the Company used a traffic management plan.

In addition to the $75,000 penalty, the court also imposed a 25 percent 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.