Guelph manufacturer and worker fined after fatal fall from order picker

What happened

• On Oct. 7, 2024, at 50 Watson Road South in Guelph, a truck driver climbed onto a truck bed and later stepped onto a Raymond order picker (designed for a standing operator) to get down. The driver fell and suffered a fatal injury.

Who was convicted

• Ralston Metal Products Limited (the employer) and worker Louie Soligo pleaded guilty in Guelph Provincial Offences Court on June 11, 2026.

By the numbers

• Company fine: $175,000
• Worker fine: $20,000
• A 25% victim fine surcharge was applied as required by the Provincial Offences Act.

Law and safety issue

• The ministry found the employer and worker failed to follow section 54(1)(c) of Ontario Regulation 851, which requires that mobile equipment only transport a person who is seated in a permanently installed seat. Convictions were under sections 25(1)(c) and 28(1)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Why it matters

• The case shows enforcement of rules about how mobile equipment may be used to move people in workplaces and the legal and financial consequences when those rules are not followed.