Schindler Fined $80,000 for Safety Violations
January 20, 2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto, ON, January 20, 2017) – Schindler Elevator Corporation was convicted by the Ontario Court of Justice for three offences related to elevator safety violations, contrary to provincial requirements under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000 (the Act).
The Ontario Court of Justice in Toronto fined the defendant $80,000 plus the 25% victim surcharge, for a total penalty of $100,000.
On November 26, 2013, a guest at a hotel located at 135 Carlingview Drive in Toronto called the front desk to report that he and three other guests were entrapped in one of the hotel’s elevators. He reported that he had heard what sounded like a “snap” before the elevator stopped moving.
Following an investigation conducted by TSSA, it was revealed that two elevator supporting cables snapped and the elevator was prevented from falling only because the safety devices automatically applied.
Further investigation revealed that Schindler Elevator was the maintenance contractor and that no regular maintenance had been performed on the elevator since Schindler assumed the maintenance contract in 2011. There was also no current logbook available for inspection by TSSA as is required by the applicable regulation.
Schindler pled guilty on three counts, namely causing an unsafe elevator to be put into service; failing to ensure that regular maintenance includes required inspections and tests; and failing to maintain an up-to-date log book, contrary to the Elevating Devices Regulation (Ontario 209/01).
The Court accepted that when Schindler took over the maintenance contract, a clerical error resulted in its failure to regularly maintain the elevator.
“This accident occurred because Schindler failed to fulfill their contractual and regulatory maintenance obligations,” said Roger Neate, Director of TSSA’s Elevating and Amusement Devices. “This prosecution illustrates that TSSA will hold elevator maintenance contractors accountable when they fail to follow the law and complete required maintenance, inspections and tests.”
About TSSA
The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) is Ontario’s public safety regulator mandated by the Government of Ontario to enforce provincial safety regulations and enhance public safety. Throughout Ontario, TSSA regulates the safety of amusement devices, boilers and pressure vessels, elevating devices, fuels, operating engineers, ski lifts, and upholstered and stuffed articles. Its range of safety services include public education and consumer information, certification, licensing and registration, engineering design review, inspections, investigations, safety management consultation, and enforcement and prosecution activities. The organization’s vision is to be a valued advocate and recognized authority in public safety.
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For more information, please contact:
Steve Robinson, Spokesperson
Technical Standards and Safety Authority
Telephone: 1-877-682-8772; Email: media@tssa.org
For more information on the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, please visit www.tssa.org.
