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Issue link: https://digital.thesafetymag.com/i/1242765
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 9 LUMBER MILL FATALITY RESULTS IN $312K FINE FOR MILL OWNERS RAYONIER A.M. CANADA INDUSTRIES must pay a total of $312,500 for the fatality of a worker. The company was fined $250,000 plus a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge of $62,500. This surcharge will be credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime. On May 25, 2018, a worker was tasked with removing bundles of wood from the lumber mill's kiln and placing them in the yard. There was no eyewitness to the incident, which occurred at the company's mill in Chapleau, Ont. It is believed that a load of wood had been placed in the yard and that the worker had reversed the loader, then got out of the machine to place three "crossers" (small pieces of wood) on the pile to create a space between the original bundle and the next bundle to be placed on top of it. Two crossers were placed and, given their positioning and the length of the wood bundle involved, it is believed that the worker was in the process of placing a third crosser. The loader rolled forward and pinned the worker between the loader and the wood bundle. The worker died as a result of the subsequent injuries. In a statement to Timmins Daily Press at the time of the accident, Michel Lessard, the company's vice president of Forest Resources, said, "For us it is very sad. It's not just a company; it's a family so when something happens like that, it's very sad for everybody." The company said it would co-operate with the Ontario Ministry of Labour in its investigation. Subsequent inspection of the loader revealed no mechanical defects to the braking system. However, it was determined that the brake actuator had been modified by the addition of a spring that made the parking brake easier to release. It was determined in the Ministry of Labour's investigation that the forks of the loader had not been lowered securely to the ground but rather had been resting on an 8" x 8" beam used to indicate where lumber bundles were to be placed. The loader had been parked on ground that sloped toward the wood bundle that had previously been deposited. The slope was found to be 6.3 per cent on the left side of the loader and 5.6 per cent on the right side. The ground was uneven, with deep ruts in the soil. No wheel chocks had been applied to the loader's wheels. Rayonier A.M. Canada Industries pleaded guilty to failing as an employer to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed in section 57 of Ontario's Regulation 851 (the Industrial Establishments Regulation) were carried out in the workplace, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act — that is, that a vehicle left unattended shall be immobilized and secured against accidental movement. The penalty was imposed on Jan. 8, 2020, in provincial offences court in Chapleau by Justice of the Peace Nathalie Breton, Crown counsel Wes Wilson. Metro Vancouver fined $637K for confined space violations Metro Vancouver Regional District has been fined $637,416 by WorkSafeBC. This employer had installed siphon gates inside a sewer line, a confined space. WorkSafeBC determined that the work had been done without the following: obtaining the required approval of proposed alternative measures of control; following safe work procedures for confined space entry; controlling for risks associated with hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S); conducting a hazard assessment; developing written procedures; developing a confined space entry permit; maintaining pre-entry test records; and training workers. Furthermore, the employer failed to have an adequately trained supervisor for confined space entry work who ensured precautions were followed. "For us it is very sad. It's not just a company; it's a family so when something happens like that, it's very sad for everybody." Michel Lessard, Rayonier's vice president of Forest Resources Saputo fined $367K for poor asbestos exposure management Saputo Foods has been fined $366,906 by WorkSafeBC. After inspection, it was determined that pipe insulation material had been removed in a machine room without the necessary precautions to protect workers from the risk of exposure to asbestos- containing materials (ACMs). Saputo failed to ensure that friable ACMs were removed, enclosed or encapsulated to prevent the release of airborne asbestos fibres. The firm also failed to ensure the health and safety of all workers at its worksite. In addition, the firm failed to ensure a qualified person conducted a hazardous materials inspection before the pipe insulation was removed. Two workers injured, Ball Construction, Inc. fined $68,750 Ontario company Ball Construction was fined $55,000 plus an additional surcharge of $13,750. On July 18, 2018, two workers fell into an abandoned pit after trying to clear the area. After investigation, it was determined that both the caution tape and pylons used on the site did not meet current requirements for guardrails that had been installed around the trenches and press pit. Section 26.1(1) of Ontario Regulation 213/91, the Regulation for Construction Projects, requires that a worker be protected by a guardrail system that meets the requirements of the regulations.