Fraser Valley developer fined $80K, handed two-year probation for safety infractions

A Fraser Valley developer was sentenced earlier this month with an $80,500 fine and a two-year probation order after it was found he endangered workers at an Abbotsford construction site.

In January 2023, WorkSafeBC launched an investigation into Phoenix Homes Ltd., run by Nirmal Singh Takhar.

The investigation found that Takhar had ordered workers to pour concrete for a suspended slab ramp without the required prior inspection and written approval from a professional engineer.

A WorkSafeBC officer witnessed workers pouring concrete while others removed shoring beneath the ramp. Shoring serves as a temporary support system critical to maintaining structural stability.

The officer immediately ordered work to stop and workers were removed from the hazard area.

“Shortly afterward, a portion of the ramp collapsed, sending concrete and debris to the floor below,” read a WorkSafeBC news release. “A stop-work order was issued and posted at the site, and the affected area was restricted with caution tape.”

Despite the stop-work order, Takhar continued to order three workers into the restricted area to clean up wet concrete and remove broken shoring.

Takhar was later charged with two counts under the occupational health and safety regulations, including failure to ensure proper site-specific planning for formwork and falsework and failure to obtain professional engineering certification before concrete placement.

He was also charged with two counts under the Workers Compensation Act, including failure to comply with a stop-work order and disturbing the scene of a reportable workplace accident.

Takhar pleaded guilty to all charges. During a hearing earlier this month, he was sentenced to pay an $80,500 fine and handed two years of probation, during which he is required to retain a qualified health and safety consultant to create a safety program.

He is also required to ensure all companies under his ownership comply with OHS and WCA requirements, is prohibited from serving as a site safety officer, and must keep the peace, report to a probation officer, and notify authorities of changes in employment or business interests.

“This sentencing sends a clear message: workplace safety is a legal obligation for employers,” said Todd McDonald with WorkSafeBC.

“Employers who disregard their legal obligations and put workers at serious risk of injury or death are subject to escalating enforcement and may face legal consequences.”

sip@postmedia.com

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