June 20, 2019 3:00 P.M.
Convicted: Continuous Colour Coat Limited, 1430 Martin Grove Road, Rexdale, Ontario, a manufacturer of coated metal products.
Location: The Continuous Colour Coat Limited manufacturing facility located at 1430 Martin Grove Road in Rexdale.
Description of Offence: A worker was injured while cleaning a piece of machinery that was not properly guarded.
Date of Offence: April 10, 2018.
Date of Conviction: June 12, 2019.
Penalty Imposed:
- Following guilty pleas, Justice of the Peace Odida Quamina fined Continuous Colour Coat Limited $70,000 in Toronto provincial court. Crown Counsel: Katherine Ballweg.
- The court also 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.
Background:
- On April 10, 2018, a worker was cleaning the metering roll of a coater machine.
- The metering roll was cleaned while the machine was live, running in reverse mode.
- Once cleaned, the metering roll was inspected for defects by the worker.
- While inspecting the metering roll, the worker’s hand was drawn between the roll and a paint tray, causing injuries.
- The procedure for cleaning the metering roll required that a guard be in place to prevent an in-running nip hazard.
- A Ministry of Labour investigation determined that a guard was not in place at the time the worker was inujred.
- Section 25 of Ontario Regulation 851 ( the Industrial Establishments Regulation) states that an in-running nip hazard or any part of a machine, device or thing that may endanger the safety of any worker shall be equipped with and guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the pinch point.
- Continuous Colour Coat Limited failed as an employer to ensure that the exposed pinch point hazard on the metering roll was equipped with a proper guard to prevent access to the in-running nip hazard. This contravened section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act as prescribed by section 25 of Regulation 851.