The owners of Somerset House pleaded guilty in provincial offences court to two charges brought by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
The charges stem from an incident during the 106-year-old building’s renovation in October 2007. A construction worker was trapped inside a Bobcat after one of the building’s back walls collapsed onto it. The worker did not suffer any injuries.
Justice of the peace Claudette Cain presided over a brief hearing today in which TKS Holdings Inc., the company that owns Somerset House, pleaded guilty to failing to have a professional engineer certify the maximum load allowed on suspended scaffolds.
At the same time, the owner of TKS Holdings Inc., Tony Shahrasebi, as the supervisor of the renovation, pleaded guilty to failing to take reasonable precautions to protect a worker.
The lawyer for the Ministry of Labour, David McCaskill, told the court that investigations by the ministry and engineers showed the building’s condition was too weak to withstand the weight and vibrations of the Bobcat.
Eleven other charges were brought by the ministry but resolved out of court. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 18.
The collapse of Somerset House has also led to two lawsuits, which are still pending trial.
Arlene Gregoire, director of building services for the City of Ottawa, says the city has filed a lawsuit against the owner for failure to comply with the building code and to recover costs incurred to secure the building after the collapse.
At the same time, TKS Holdings Inc. has filed a lawsuit against the city for lost business caused by the renovation delay. Work on the building has still not resumed.