A Calgary based contractor has been handed a $15,000 fine for its part in the destruction of the roof at a long term care facility in the city’s southeast.
On April 13 2011, employees of Canterbury Roofing Ltd. placed a pallet of construction materials on the roof of the Clifton Manor, a long term care facility owned by the Brenda Stafford Foundation.
The contractor failed to ensure the roof could support the weight of the 1,200 kg skid and the ceiling collapsed into the dining room below.
At the time of the collapse, members of the facilities kitchen staff were serving lunch to elderly residents in the dining room.
The staff was startled by the cracking noises above their heads. Staff moved themselves and the residents out of harms way prior to the roof’s demise. No one was injured in the incident.
“This is a very serious case, and we are very fortunate that the kitchen staff acted quickly for the safety of residents,” says Kevin Griffiths, manager of Building Regulations and Chef Building Official at The City of Calgary. “We will continue to prosecute such cases to send a clear message that construction site safety in Calgary must be taken seriously.”
The $15,000 fine was the maximum penalty for a first offence under the Safety Codes Act.
