A workplace fatality at a construction site in Warwick has resulted in fines totaling $145,000 for a Watford-based company and an excavating contractor.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Agro Acres and contractor Nick De Jong, operating as De Jong Excavating, were convicted following a fatal incident that occurred on May 9, 2024, at a project located on Churchill Lane.
The incident took place while demolition and construction work around a barn was being carried out alongside ongoing farm and mechanical shop operations. Multiple workers and heavy machines were active in the same area without adequate separation between work zones.
A worker had been assigned to collect steel rebar near a front-end loader. As the loader was reversing, the worker entered its travel path. The operator, whose visibility was limited while looking over one shoulder, did not see the worker approaching from the opposite side, leading to a fatal collision.
An investigation found that the loader operator’s view was obstructed, a required signaller was not present, and a mirror on the machine was either missing or improperly positioned. Investigators concluded that Agro Acres failed to ensure a signaller was provided when necessary, while Nick De Jong failed to use a signaller while operating the equipment under those conditions.
The convictions were registered on April 29, 2026. Following guilty pleas in Sarnia Provincial Offences Court, Agro Acres was fined $130,000 and Nick De Jong received a $15,000 fine. An additional 25 per cent victim fine surcharge was imposed, with proceeds directed to a provincial fund that supports victims of crime.