By ALYSSA PARKHILL

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

A local contracting company has been recently fined after an employee was injured. 

Back in March 2017, a worker at Rafat General Contracting Inc., was working renovations on a multi-storey building located in Toronto. The company was hired to perform several renovations, including demolishing and dismantling from the third floor of the basement to the basement. 

A supporting beam that was part of the soon-to-be built ceiling of the basement was noticed by the supervisor of Rafat as resting on top of a steel plate on top of a steel column, but was not connected, while the other side of the beam was indeed connected by a separate steel column.

The steel assembly collapsed shortly after the supervisor used a mini excavator to put the unattached end of the beam off of the steel plate and lowered the end to the floor. 

When the assembly collapsed, one worker was struck and then pinned under the collapsed structure. The worker suffered serious injuries. 

The company was convicted on February 5 last year, stated the courts, but sentencing was delayed until January 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Rafat General Contracting Inc. was fined $50,000 after a trial at the Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto. A 25 per-cent victim fine surcharge was also imposed on the company through the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge goes toward a provincial government program fund that assists victims of crime, stated the courts. 

The contracting company has been in business since 1988. Headquartered in Bolton, Rafat General Contracting Inc contracts to a variety of communities within the Greater Toronto Area.