Quin Cormier with his wife Jennifer.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
May 29, 2019 - 6:00 PM
PENTICTON - The widow of a man killed in a workplace accident at Skaha Ford in Penticton in 2017 is challenging a recent application to have the Worksafe B.C. penalty imposed on the auto dealership reduced.
The dealership was issued the fine by Worksafe BC in March following the conclusion of an investigation into the death of 36-year-old Quin Cormier on April 28, 2017, when he was crushed against a pick up truck by another vehicle being backed out of the service bay.
Jennifer Cormier says she feels the $31,000 penalty was already at the “low end of the spectrum” and has filed a review.
Cormier said she spoke with a Skaha Ford manager this morning, May 29, and they both agreed to disagree.
The Worksafe BC decision determined at the time of the incident, the firm’s workers were not being adequately supervised or instructed about their job responsibilities. The firm had an inadequate safety management system and failed to provide its workers with information, instruction, training and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety and high-risk violations.
She says she received notice from Worksafe yesterday that Skaha Ford had filed a review to have the penalty reduced.
Cormier says spouses don’t normally get involved in a penalty decision but she intends to.
"The $31,611.99 penalty isn’t even what Quin made in a year. That’s why I filed my review, I don’t agree with it and I still don’t with this latest turn of events,” she said.
Brad Jinjoe said he is a new owner at Skaha Ford, within the last 90 days, but inherited the penalty as part of the purchase.
“I had Worksafe here and I just wanted to let them know how seriously we were taking what was going on, and wanted their help to make sure our safety protocols and guidelines and what was going on was up to their standards,” Jinjoe said.
He said it was under Worksafe's guidance that he was told he should file for a review, due to the extenuating circumstance of new ownership, and the fact the dealership had reached out to them asking for assistance and help.
Jinjoe said only three things can happen from a review - the penalty can be upgraded 30 per cent, left as is or decreased by 30 per cent.
“What we actually wanted the review under was so they would understand this is new ownership and we are taking what happened very seriously and changing the things that need to happen to make sure it’s a safe work environment. It was never done… for any other reason other than that,” he said.
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