Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine
An incident in which a laundry worker suffered head and forearm injuries has landed a Winnipeg employer penalties of almost $80,000.
On January 13, 2011, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) pleaded guilty to one violation of Manitoba’s Workplace Safety and Health Regulation.
The WRHA failed to ensure that all machines in the workplace could safely perform their intended functions because of the lack of machine guarding. More specifically, the authority did not have a metal hopper attachment on an LX445 Lavatec Washer-Extractor to prevent possible contact with moving parts.
Crown prosecutor Sean Brennan says the WRHA received a $65,000 fine, a $13,000 surcharge and a $50 court fee.
The fine follows the worker’s injury on April 24, 2008. While working at a WRHA laundry facility, the man reached into an industrial washing machine to remove several mops that had not tipped onto an adjacent dryer-conveyor, says WRHA spokesperson Heidi Graham.
As the worker reached inside, “the large metal hopper — attached by hinges to the top of the washer — moved into its ‘down’ position and pinned him between the hopper and the washer’s metal door opening,” Graham says. “The washer continued its programmed cycle of tilting upwards to accept the dirty laundry suspended in the bags overhead.”
Graham says the worker experienced “substantial soft-tissue injuries” to his left forearm and to the side of his head, and a cut to his ear that required stitches. He is receiving workers’ comp benefits.
After the incident, the WRHA’s management team and workplace safety coordinator convened a group to come up with improvements for the facility, which employs about 120 staff. The resulting plan— elements of which included developing an interim safe-work procedure, training employees and supervisors, installing a safety railing and relocating machine controls — was approved by Manitoba’s oh&s division and has since been implemented, Graham says.
“To add an additional level of protection, the WRHA also ensured that system and machine programming and electrical modifications were made by the manufacturer” and that “an electrical life safety field interlock and control was installed,” she says.
Entrainment is a common concern in the industrial washing and drying sector, says Ken Hughes, past president of the Atlantic Support Services Association, and current director of environmental services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. Hughes says that equipment guarding, automatic shut-offs and noise alerts for moving or tilting equipment are all important controls used at his hospital’s laundry facility.
My opinion
This topic is so important in the workplace that, in Ontario, there are sections pertaining to ‘machine guarding’in all the 4 sectors regulations. The sector regulations are,
1) Construction – 213/91,
2) Industrial – 851/90,
3) Mining – 854/90, and
4) Healthcare – 67/93.
I am going to quote the ‘Industrial’ regulation 851, section 24, which states,
“Where a machine or prime mover or transmission equipment has an exposed moving part that may endanger the safety of any worker, the machine or prime mover or transmission equipment shall be equipped with and guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the moving part.”
There is no ambiguity here. It MUST have a guard to protect workers!
I wonder why the health and safety committee did not notice it.
As an employer, if you do not know your responsibilities under the Act and regulations, you will find out shortly when the MOL comes visiting. Please ensure that all engineering standards and CSA standards are being adhered to. If you are not sure, please contact the manufacturer for more information.
Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Foundation Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.
World class!
Appreciate the recommendation. Let me try it out.
I wanted to thank you for all the great information you are providing!
Its like you read my mind!
Wonderful article! That is the type of info that is supposed to be shared around the internet.
Outstanding information!
Good for you!
We prefer to honor several web sites on the web, including this one!
I wanted to thank you for all the great information you are providing!
You are real good at this!
I wanted to come here!
Many thanks!
Here is a good web posting!
One of our visitors lately recommended this website.
Hello, your website has high incident rate!
You are so good at this!
Nicely played!
You are wonderful!
Many thanks!
Good for you!
That is the best article yet!
Just looked at several of your stories, awesome!
Many thanks!
It’s awesome to visit this web page and reading all the views on your hard work!
Hi, well put together on-line site you have in here.
You should do some search engine optimization for this website.
This is good stuff!
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation.
I’m no longer certain where you are getting your information, however good topic.
We came across this cool internet site!
This weblog is great, I love reading your posts.
Post writing can be very rewarding!
Here is a superb weblog!
You are the best!
Many thanks!
Wonderful story!
Have a look.
We’re a group of volunteers and starting a new blog in our community.
Your website offered us with valuable information to work on.
Awesome blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring
writers?
Great blog here! Also your site loads up very fast! What web host are you using?
Wonderful work! This is the type of information that is supposed to be shared across the net.
Look forward to your next post!
Spot on with this posting!
It’s really a great and useful piece of info.
It’s a remarkable article!
Hello, I wish to subscribe to this weblog.
It consists of helpful Information.
I love your writing very much!
I’m not sure exactly why but this site is loading incredibly slow
for me.
Saved as a favorite, I like your blog!
Hey just wanted to give you a quick heads up. The text in your
article seem to be running off the screen in Safari.
Thanks , I have recently been looking for this information.
I’m gone to tell my little brother about this site!
Wow, marvelous blog layout!
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this website.
With havin so much content do you ever run into any issues of plagiarism or copyright infringement?
Howdy! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay.I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
World class!
You are world class!
You made some good points here.
This is really worth going over.
Good for you!
Worth coming back!
Thanks for the great article.
I wanted to thank you for all the great information you are providing!
Thanks for sharing your info.
You make blogging look easy.
Awesome post!
Wow, great article.Much thanks again. Cool.
Really looking forward to read more. Keep writing.
I’m grateful for the blog.
Thanks!
I used to be very happy to search out this net-site.
Thank you for the whole thing!
I am impressed, I need to say.
Thanks a lot for giving everyone such a pleasant chance to check tips from this website.
Good article , thanks and we wish more!
My honest regret for not expressing gratitude to you earlier.
Your site is valuable for me. Thanks!
Thank you for the whole thing!
There’s noticeably a bundle to learn about this.
I wish to voice my love for your kindheartedness for offering all this information for free.
My very own honest regret for not expressing gratitude to you sooner.
This really answered my concerns, thanks!
Thank you for your own hard work on this web page.
Thanks
Our sincere apologies for not saying thanks to earlier.
Nice stuff, simply great!
Oh my goodness! an incredible article dude.
I believe there are thousands of more enjoyable opportunities ahead for folks who start reading your website.
Thanks!
Could you tell me what style are you making use of on your web site? It looks nice.
This is really good!
There’s definitely a great deal to learn about this topic.
Thanks for the great information!
I was wondering if you happen to thought about changing the structure of your own blog?
Great site you’ve here.
Take care!!
Hello, I go to your blogs regularly.
Wow, this is what I was looking for!
Thank you!
I like your website.
Excellent strategy.
I like the helpful information you provide.
Does managing a well-established blog such as yours take a lot of work?