Australian and Canadian firms fined after serious workplace accidents

A civil construction company in Victoria, Australia, was convicted by the Melbourne County Court and ordered to pay a $90,000 fine and $4,064 in costs after a worker suffered severe electric‑shock injuries while digging a bore shaft near live powerlines in Pakenham in March 2024. WorkSafe Victoria had previously warned the firm about a three‑metre exclusion zone, and the court noted the company failed to enforce it, resulting in burns, skin grafts, a toe amputation and tendon removal.

In Ontario, Canada, Agro Acres and its subcontractor De Jong Excavating were each convicted for a fatal demolition incident at a barn in Watford in May 2024 that killed a 17‑year‑old worker. The court found that heavy equipment operated without a signaller, with obstructed views and a missing mirror, and that the companies failed to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The company was fined $130,000, the contractor $15,000, and a 25 % victim‑fine surcharge was added, bringing the total penalties to $145,000.