Elite Construction Inc. pleaded guilty and was fined C$50,000 for an incident where two temporary workers suffered injuries while constructing the new Collins Bay prison in Kingston, Ontario, according to an announcement Tuesday by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

The ministry reported the two temporary employees were assigned on June 11 to move a cart loaded with sheets of 18-gauge steel standing on edge. The load weighed a total of about 2,050 pounds and was not secured to the cart, according to the Ministry.

As the cart was being moved, it was obstructed by the contact of the wheels with one of a number of electrical extension cords on the floor. A third worker came to assist the two workers with movement of the cart. As the three workers were attempting to move the cart over the cord, the load shifted and the steel sheets fell onto the first two workers. Both suffered broken bones.

Two weeks before the incident, on May 29, a Ministry of Labour inspector had issued an order to Elite to implement a plan to manage the electrical cords being used on the site, as many cords were on the floor at the time of the site visit, constituting a tripping hazard.

The company pleaded guilty to failing as an employer to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health and safety of the worker, in violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25% victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

The 96-bed Collins Bay maximum security facility is a federal building operated by Correctional Service Canada and opened in January 2015.