Midome Construction Fined $40K for Safety Violations

Concord contractor prosecuted for damaging pipeline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto, ON, November 20, 2018) – Midome Construction Ltd., a Concord contractor, was recently convicted by the Ontario Court of Justice for failing to ascertain the location of a natural gas pipeline before excavating and damaging the pipeline, contrary to the Oil and Gas Pipeline Systems Regulation (Ontario 210/01). 

In August 2016, a TSSA inspector received notice of a natural gas pipeline damage on River Street in Toronto, Ontario and, upon further investigation, laid two charges against Midome Construction Ltd. for damaging the pipeline and for not possessing a valid locate prior to excavation. 

The Ontario Court of Justice found that Midome Construction damaged the pipeline while excavating with a backhoe while replacing the sidewalk along River Street, which allowed natural gas to spew into the air. Midome had been excavating with expired locates. They were subsequently found guilty of both counts by the court after a trial and fined $20,000 on each count, plus the mandatory 25% victim fine surcharge, for a total $50,000. 

“Hitting a pipeline with pressurized gas is a significant risk to public safety,” said John Marshall, Director of TSSA’s Fuels Safety Program. “It can cause explosions, damage and cause injury and death. That’s why Ontario has stringent laws around pipeline safety, including the rule to obtain a valid locate before breaking ground, requiring hand-digging within one metre of utility markings.” 

TSSA reminds the public that any excavation work must comply with Ontario’s safety laws, including obtaining a valid pipeline locate from the license holder or gas utility before breaking ground and not using mechanical equipment while digging within one metre of a pipeline. Free locates can be obtained from Ontario One Call at 1-800-400-2255 or visit http://on1call.com. 

Ontario Regulation 210/01 prohibits interfering with or damaging a pipeline and any damage and/or subsequent release of gas should be immediately reported to the Ministry of Environment’s Spills Action Centre at 1-800-268-6060 or by contacting TSSA toll-free at 1-877-682-8772. 

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For more information, please contact:

Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Media Relations
Telephone: 1-877-682-8772; Email: media@tssa.org