Newmarket, Ont. – Jeld-Wen of Canada Ltd., a Toronto window and door manufacturer, was fined $50,000 on October 21, 2010, for a violation the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused an injury to a worker.

On June 3, 2008, at the company’s manufacturing facility in Vaughan, a worker was using a table saw to cut a piece of wood. The saw blade had a guard on it, but the saw would not make the required cut if the guard was left in place. A supervisor advised the worker to remove the guard to make the cut. The worker’s hand made contact with the unguarded blade while making the cut. The worker partially lost two fingers.

Jeld-Wen of Canada Ltd. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the table saw was equipped with a guard or other device to prevent access to its blade.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Carol Seglins. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.

Toronto, Ont. – Gestion Beaumet Inc., a Quebec construction company, was fined a total of $80,000 on October 13, 2010, for failing to post warning signs at a construction project, a violation the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

In June 2008, Gestion Beaumet Inc. was demolishing the decommissioned Hearn Generating Station at 44 Unwin Ave. in Toronto. On June 15, 2008, two people broke into the demolition site while it was closed. One of the trespassers was fatally injured at the site. Police and paramedics were called to rescue the individual. When Ministry of Labour inspectors arrived to investigate, there were no “danger” signs posted to warn workers, including the police and paramedics, about the hazards in the building. There were also no signs warning about the asbestos hazard that was present.

After a trial, Gestion Beaumet Inc. was found guilty of failing, as a constructor, to ensure that signs were posted in prominent locations and in sufficient numbers to warn workers of a hazard on a project. Gestion Beaumet Inc. was also found guilty of failing, as a constructor, to identify an asbestos dust hazard using clearly visible signs. The company was fined $40,000 for each offense.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Habte Worku. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.

St. Catharines, Ont. – TRW Canada Ltd., a large automotive supplier with head offices in Toronto, was fined $60,000 on October 15, 2010, after pleading guilty for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused an injury to a worker.

On May 6, 2009, at the company’s machine shop in St. Catharines, a worker was unloading parts from a threading machine. The worker got entangled with the end of the part being machined and sustained injuries in one arm.

A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that the machine which the injured worker was operating was not equipped with, and guarded by, a guard or other device to prevent access to the hazard.

TRW Canada Ltd. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed by Occupational Health and Safety Act were carried out.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace D. Cowan. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.

Toronto, Ont. – Fripes Export Ltd., a large used clothing procurement, grading and re-distribution business, located in Toronto, was fined $50,000 on October 13, 2010, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused an injury to a worker.

On October 29, 2009, an electrical contractor working for Fripes Export Ltd. was directing a worker operating a fork lift. The electrical contractor walked backwards into the path of a bale of clothing being ejected from a bailing press. The bail of clothing rolled into the electrical contractor, causing injuries to the electrical contractor’s lower limbs.

Fripes Export Ltd. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the lifting, carrying or moving of clothing bales did not endanger the safety of any worker.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace G. Sunit John. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.

Sault Ste Marie, ON. – Essar Steel Algoma Inc. was fined $300,000 today for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) that caused a worker’s death. The company was fined another $25,000 for a different OHSA violation after a worker was injured in a separate incident.

On July 31, 2008, at the company’s steel mill in Sault Ste Marie, a worker was doing routine maintenance on a truck. As the worker was checking the battery, it exploded, splattering liquid in the worker’s face. The worker attempted to use the emergency eyewash fountain, but it was not working.

Essar Steel Algoma Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an eyewash fountain and deluge shower in good condition.

In a separate incident at the mill on October 30, 2008, three workers were doing a pre-start check on a conveyor system used to pile rocks. The maintenance team believed the system was empty, but toward the end of the check material appeared on the conveyor above one of the workers. The material, weighing over 125 kilograms, fell onto the worker, killing him.

Essar Steel Algoma Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure appropriate overhead guarding was in place to prevent falling material from injuring a worker.

The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Patricia Tennant. In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.

Toronto, ON. – Maple Leaf Structural Limited, now operating as Structform International Limited, of Toronto, was fined $150,000 on October 4, 2010, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that caused a worker’s death.

On May 12, 2008, Maple Leaf Structural Limited was a subcontractor doing concrete framework at a building project at 825 Bay St. in Toronto. At the request of the constructor, Maple Leaf workers began moving an outrigger platform from the 23rd story to the 22nd story of the north tower of the project. As the crane operator moved the platform away from the 23rd floor, a worker on that story noticed a piece of cast-iron pipe rolling towards the edge of the building. The worker was unable to grab the pipe before it fell. The falling pipe struck and killed a worker crossing a mezzanine twenty floors below.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the mezzanine was not secured or taped off while the platform was being moved overhead. There was also no overhead protection in that location and no signage or person warning workers of the overhead hazard.

Maple Leaf Structural Limited pleaded guilty to failing to ensure an outrigger platform was moved in a manner that did not endanger a worker.

The fine was imposed by Judge Robert Bigelow. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.

St. Catharines, ON. – JGB Developments Inc., carrying on business as JGB Roofing, of St. Catharines, was fined $30,000 on September 17 for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

On November 7, 2008, three workers were repairing a residential roof on Oromond St. S. in Thorold. A Ministry of Labour inspector visited the project in response to a complaint. After investigation, the inspector found that the workers were not wearing proper fall protection or head protection. Also, a ladder to the roof did not extend far enough past the roof’s surface and it had a damaged rung. Furthermore, a wooden plank being used as a work platform had a crack along its length and it overhung its support too much at one end.

JGB Developments Inc. was found guilty after trial to failing to ensure that:

■workers were adequately protected by fall protection
■workers were wearing the personal protective equipment necessary to protect them from possible hazards
■the ladder extended at least 900 millimeters past the roof’s surface
■the ladder was free from defective or loose rungs
■the wooden plank used as a work platform was free of any defects and it did not overhang its support by more than 300 millimeters

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Dan La Caprara. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent 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.