Thornbury Construction Company Pleads Guilty to Safety Violation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Collingwood, ON, October 11, 2012) – A Thornbury construction company was fined $10,000 by the Ontario Court of Justice in Collingwood, Ontario for violating safety regulations under the Technical Standards and Safety Act, 2000.

George Mackey Construction Limited pled guilty to not obtaining a locate before excavating as well as damaging a natural gas pipeline near 155 Lake Drive in the Town of Blue Mountains on October 21, 2010. The contractor had been contracted by the homeowner to excavate the property in front of their home in order to lay water and sewer line connections. During the construction, Mr. Grant Mackey of George Mackey Construction struck a ½ inch plastic gas service pipeline with a backhoe, causing a natural gas leak.

Following an investigation by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), Ontario's public safety regulator responsible for pipeline safety, George Mackey Construction Limited was charged with failing to obtain a pipeline locate from Union Gas. George Mackey Construction Limited was also charged with damaging and interfering with a pipeline when it struck it with a backhoe and crimped it with vice grips. The damage was discovered by a municipal employee the following day.

"It was sheer luck that no one was injured in this incident," said John Marshall, Director of TSSA's Fuels Safety Program. "Pipeline strikes can be extremely dangerous and disruptive. They occur too often and TSSA will aggressively prosecute contractors who don't follow the regulations requiring them to obtain locates and endangering public safety," added Mr. Marshall.

TSSA reminds the public that any excavation work must comply with safety requirements, including obtaining a valid pipeline locate from the licence holder or gas utility before breaking ground. 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.