RV campground east of London fined in crushing death of worker

An RV resort east of London is facing a $70,000 fine for not complying with health and safety standards after one of its workers was crushed and killed by a mobile home.

Justice Thomas Stinson handed down his decision in a London courtroom Thursday, after the company, Golden Pond RV Resort in Mossley, pleaded guilty in the Sept. 19, 2016, incident.

The trailer was being lifted using jacks, so workers could slide steel beams underneath it and move it from one place to another. It was raised about nine inches, when it began to shift, and fell off the jacks.

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One worker was able to roll away from underneath, but the structure came down on another worker who was pinned.

The victim was taken to hospital and died from his injuries the next day.

The Ministry of Labour investigated the incident and discovered the soil beneath the blocks supporting the jacks was damp and soft, making the structure unstable. The jacks were also lifted too high, and the mobile home wasn’t braced well enough to prevent movement, the investigation found.

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Regulations require that every part of a project, including a temporary structure, need to be adequately braced to prevent movement that can impact stability or cause a collapse.

Golden Pond was found to have failed to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The court also imposed a 25 per cent victim surcharge, which will go to a government fund that helps victims of crime.