An electrical contractor has been hit with a huge fine after its faulty electrical work led to a resident’s death.
The contractor had installed an in-floor heating system in the bathroom of a home. The resident, an elderly man, fell on the floor in the bathroom and suffered second- and third-degree burns from the overheated floor. He died in hospital. The Electrical Safety Authority (Ontario) determined that the floor’s heat system sensor had not been installed, and the heating system was wired to an incorrect voltage level.
The electrical contractor pleaded guilty to three charges of violating the Ontario Electrical Safety Code: leaving an unsafe electrical condition; failure to procure connection authorization before use; and failure to apply for an electrical inspection. According to the Electrical Safety Authority, the fine was “the largest fine in the history of electrical contractor licencing in Ontario.”
The charges were not under the Occupational Health and Safety Act because they dealt with a hazard to the resident, not a worker. The charges, and the fine, show that serious liability can result from multiple pieces of regulatory legislation when safety is neglected.
The Electrical Safety Authority’s press release may be found here.
