ThyssenKrupp Fined $500K for Safety Violations

Court levies stiff penalty against major elevator contractor for putting the public at risk

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Toronto, ON, October 26, 2017) –  The Ontario Court of Justice in the Mississauga Region levied a $500,000 fine plus a mandatory 25% victim surcharge for a total penalty of $625,000 against ThyssenKrupp Elevator (Canada) for violating provincial safety laws. 

ThyssenKrupp pled guilty to 5 offences under the Technical Standards and Safety Act,2000 (TSS Act)for failing to perform required maintenance and tests at a condominium in Mississauga and permitting an unsafe elevator to operate at a condominium in Scarborough.  

The Court found that in 2015, at 350 Princess Royale Drive in Mississauga, the defendant failed to perform certain annual tests by their prescribed date. At the time of inspection by TSSA, the tests were noted to be approximately 2 months overdue. Furthermore, other safety tests that were required every 5 years were also overdue by approximately 3 months.  

After a near-miss incident in 2015 at 135 Village Green Square in Scarborough, involving a passenger jumping from an elevator that continued to move with its doors open, the Court found the defendant guilty of putting an elevator that is an immediate safety hazard back into service, before the cause of the condition was identified, and permitting the operation of an unsafe elevating device. 

The total $500,000 fine sends a strong message to elevator maintenance contractors that Ontario’s safety laws must be respected and that any party who puts the public at risk will risk prosecution and conviction. 

“A clear message was sent today to both ThyssenKrupp and the entire elevator industry,” said Roger Neate, TSSA’s Director of Elevating and Amusement Devices. 

“The court’s verdict says it loud and clear: ThyssenKrupp and the elevator industry will be held accountable when they fail to follow the law and complete required safety tests, maintenance and procedures.”  

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 authority for a safer Ontario.

-30-

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.