The Board of Directors of Speedy Roofing Ltd. directed the corporation president to draw up and enforce site safety rules for the performance of work at the various kinds of construction sites where the corporation would likely bid for roofing work. In accordance with the directive, the president set out job equipment requirements for three types of projects: small residential home roofing work, apartment and commercial building roofing work, and large industrial and high-rise building roofing work. In each case, the site manager was expected to select the proper equipment to perform the work (scaffolding, portable elevators, material handling equipment, etc.) and enforce the safety rules dictated by provincial government work safety regulations. The directors made no further inquiries after the president advised them what rules were in place. Site managers at small residential roofing jobs frequently used only ladders and minimal scaffolding on the job, and most roofing materials were moved to the roof by manual labour. The reasoning here was that the roofing work was usually completed in only a day or two; and the roof surfaces were usually gentle slopes or relatively flat. Safety equipment was considered unnecessary, and only a rope safety harness was used on the steeper roof surfaces. On a small residential roof repair project on a two-storey home, a worker slipped on some loose shingles and fell over the side of the roof. His safety harness arrested his fall, but in the process he was thrown against the brick wall of the house and suffered a serious head injury.

Provincial workplace safety inspectors investigated the accident, and may charge the corporation and management with a violation of the provincial workplace safety legislation.

Advise the directors of the corporation and consider the possible outcome, if the corporation was charged with a violation of the Act.