Manufacturer Fined $75,000 After Worker Injured

Toronto, Ont. - Georgia-Pacific Canada, Consumer Products, ULC, a manufacturer of paper, building and consumer products, pleaded guilty and was fined $75,000 on December 2, 2009, for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.

On March 8, 2008, a worker at the company's facility in Toronto was trying to clear a jam in a "bagger machine."  The worker opened the guard around the machine to clear paper cups that had fallen.  The worker's sleeve was caught in the machine's rotating shaft.  The worker's arm was pulled into the machine and injured.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that it was standard procedure for workers to leave the machine running while clearing fallen cups.  Accordingly, the worker had not been told to ensure the rotating shaft had stopped before reaching inside.

Georgia-Pacific Canada, Consumer Products, ULC pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the machine had maintenance work performed on it only when motion that may endanger a worker had stopped.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Lena Crawford. 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.

Court Information at a Glance

Location:                     Ontario Court of Justice

                                    60 Queen St. W.

                                    Old City Hall

                                    Toronto, Ont.

Judge:                        

Justice of the Peace Lena Crawford

Date of Conviction:

December 2, 2009

Defendant:

Georgia-Pacific Canada, Consumer Products, ULC

Matter:

Occupational Health and Safety

Conviction:

Ontario Regulation 851/90, Section 75(a)

Crown Counsel:

Alexandra Bednar