Ontario Order Picker Fatality Results in $195,000 in Fines — What Employers Need to Know
WORK SAFE Safety Report: Order Picker Incident Results in Fatality and $195,000 in Fines
A fatal Ontario workplace incident provides an important reminder: material-handling equipment must only be used for its intended purpose.
An Ontario manufacturer and one of its workers were fined a combined $195,000 following a fatal workplace incident involving a Raymond order picker at a Guelph facility.
According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Ralston Metal Products Limited was fined $175,000 and a worker was fined $20,000 following guilty pleas.
A 25% victim fine surcharge was also imposed.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The incident occurred on October 7, 2024.
A truck driver arrived at the Guelph facility to pick up an electrical enclosure.
After the product was loaded onto the truck using a forklift, the driver climbed onto the truck bed to secure the load.
The truck bed was approximately 51 inches above the ground.
When the driver later needed assistance getting down, a worker positioned a Raymond order picker beside the truck.
The driver stepped onto the order-picker platform and fork area.
As the worker turned to operate the controls and move the equipment, the driver fell to the ground and suffered fatal injuries.
WHAT DID THE INVESTIGATION FIND?
The Ministry investigation found that the order picker had been used to transport a person who was not seated in a permanently installed seat.
Ontario Regulation 851 requires that mobile equipment only be used to transport another person when that person is seated in a permanently installed seat.
The employer and worker were convicted of offences relating to this requirement.
THE SAFETY LESSON
This incident highlights something every company operating forklifts, order pickers and other material-handling equipment should reinforce:
Never improvise with equipment designed for another purpose.
A forklift or order picker may appear to provide a quick solution to a workplace problem.
That does not mean it is a safe solution.
Operators need to understand:
What their equipment was designed to do
What it was not designed to do
Manufacturer operating requirements
Restrictions on transporting people
Safe access and working-at-height procedures
When to stop and find the proper equipment or procedure
Sometimes the safest decision an operator makes is simply:
“This equipment isn't designed for that.”
THE WORK SAFE APPROACH
At WORK SAFE Training, we believe operator training should go beyond learning how to make equipment move.
Operators need to understand the limitations of the equipment they're operating and recognize when a task falls outside its intended use.
Our training combines theory, hands-on operation and practical evaluation on real material-handling equipment.
For companies, WORK SAFE also provides on-site operator training and evaluations, allowing training to take place around the equipment employees actually operate.
TRAIN THE DECISION — NOT JUST THE MACHINE
An operator may know how to drive an order picker.
But safe operation also requires knowing when not to use it.
Companies should reinforce equipment limitations, safe operating procedures and workplace-specific hazards with their operators.
Because workplace safety isn't simply about operating equipment correctly.
It's also about making the right decision before the equipment ever moves.
DOES YOUR COMPANY OPERATE FORKLIFTS OR ORDER PICKERS?
WORK SAFE Training provides corporate forklift training, refresher training and operator evaluations throughout the GTA and Southern Ontario.
Training includes:
Counterbalance Forklifts | Narrow Aisle Reach Trucks | Raymond Order Pickers | Walkie/Rider Pallet Trucks | Aerial & Scissor Lifts | Telehandlers | Zoom Booms | Specialized Material-Handling Equipment
Training is available at your workplace or at our training centres in Scarborough and Mississauga.
Don't wait for an incident to identify a training gap.
Book on-site company forklift training or operator evaluations with WORK SAFE Training.
📞 Toronto / Scarborough: (416) 321-9675
📞 Mississauga / Peel: (905) 629-9679
WORK SAFE Training
Train for the workplace — not just the certificate.
OFFICIAL INCIDENT SOURCE
Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
Court Bulletin: “Workplace Fatality Results in $195,000 in Fines for Guelph Company and Worker”
Published July 7, 2026.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for workplace safety education and awareness. WORK SAFE Training was not involved in the incident described. Incident, investigation and enforcement information is based on the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development's published court bulletin.
Ontario Order Picker Fatality Leads to $195,000 in Fines | WORK SAFE Safety Report
An Ontario workplace fatality involving a Raymond order picker resulted in $195,000 in fines. Learn what happened and the safety lessons employers should know.
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