Construction company fined $75,000 after worker injured in foundation-repair explosion
Above Water applied flammable adhesive in an unsecured, unventilated trench on Hadley Circle in August 2023. Worker was injured when vapours ignited.
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Above Water, a Gatineau-based foundation repair and waterproofing company, has been fined $75,000 after a worker was injured in an explosion on a residential property in Ottawa.
The incident occurred on August 30, 2023, at a private residence on Hadley Circle. A worker was applying Henry Blueskin Adhesive — a flammable liquid that produces ignitable vapours — to the rear foundation wall inside a trench approximately eight feet deep and three feet wide. The trench was not shored, and no atmospheric monitoring or ventilation was in use.
Explosion occurred while the adhesive was being applied. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Above Water had failed to ensure adequate ventilation on the project, in violation of both the Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations for construction projects.
On July 15, 2026, Above Water pleaded guilty in Provincial Offences Court in Ottawa. Justice of the Peace Mahamud H. Elmi imposed the $75,000 fine. The company must also pay a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act, with funds directed to a provincial government program assisting victims of crime.
Above Water had been contracted to perform foundation repair and window well system installation at the residential property. The nature and severity of the worker's injury were not disclosed.
What was the extent of the worker's injury, and has the worker returned to work?
Has Above Water implemented new safety protocols to prevent similar incidents?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
When did the explosion occur?
The explosion happened on August 30, 2023, at a residential property on Hadley Circle in Ottawa.
What was the company fined?
Above Water was fined $75,000 on July 15, 2026, after pleading guilty in Provincial Offences Court in Ottawa. The company must also pay a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge.
What safety violations caused the incident?
Above Water failed to ensure adequate ventilation while a worker applied flammable Henry Blueskin Adhesive in an unshored trench approximately eight feet deep and three feet wide with no atmospheric monitoring in use. The violations breached the Occupational Health and Safety Act and construction project regulations.
