Greenhouse Manufacturer Fined $60,000 After Worker Injured
July 29, 2010 4:45 PM
Simcoe, Ont. - De Cloet Greenhouse Mfg. Ltd., a Simcoe-based company that manufactures greenhouses, was fined $60,000 on July 22, 2010, for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), after a worker was injured.
On April 22, 2009, a worker was processing pieces of metal tubing, which were to be assembled to make trusses, at the company's Simcoe manufacturing facility. The worker was operating a drill press to drill holes through the pieces of metal tubing. Because of the heat generated when the metal is drilled, the worker used a plastic bottle to spray coolant onto the drill bit and the metal tubing. The bottle was unsecured, and would sometimes fall off the drill table from the vibrations of the drill.
At one point, the worker noticed that the spray bottle was about to fall off the drill table. The worker reached out to stop it from falling. The worker's gloved hand got caught in the spinning drill bit and was pulled into the machine. The worker's hand was injured in the process.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the employer failed to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that a worker used a protective shield on the drill press at an appropriate height to ensure safety. The investigation also found that the worker had not been given any specific training on the machine's safety hazards.
De Cloet Greenhouse Mfg. Ltd. pleaded guilty under the OHSA of failing to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Frank Squires. In addition to the fine, the court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge on the total, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
On April 22, 2009, a worker was processing pieces of metal tubing, which were to be assembled to make trusses, at the company's Simcoe manufacturing facility. The worker was operating a drill press to drill holes through the pieces of metal tubing. Because of the heat generated when the metal is drilled, the worker used a plastic bottle to spray coolant onto the drill bit and the metal tubing. The bottle was unsecured, and would sometimes fall off the drill table from the vibrations of the drill.
At one point, the worker noticed that the spray bottle was about to fall off the drill table. The worker reached out to stop it from falling. The worker's gloved hand got caught in the spinning drill bit and was pulled into the machine. The worker's hand was injured in the process.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the employer failed to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that a worker used a protective shield on the drill press at an appropriate height to ensure safety. The investigation also found that the worker had not been given any specific training on the machine's safety hazards.
De Cloet Greenhouse Mfg. Ltd. pleaded guilty under the OHSA of failing to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Frank Squires. In addition to the fine, the court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge on the total, 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
50 Frederick Hobson VC Drive
Simcoe, Ont.
Judge: Justice of the Peace Frank Squires
Date of Conviction: July 22, 2010
Defendants: De Cloet Greenhouse Mfg. Ltd.
Matter: Occupational Health and Safety
Conviction(s): OHSA, Section 25(2)(h)
Contacts
- Matt Blajer
Communications Branch
416-326-7405
Ministry of Labour
ontario.ca/labour