Blog Post #922 – Albarrie Canada Ltd. Fined $40,000 After Worker Caught in Machine

Excerpt from the government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’

Albarrie Canada Ltd., a company that manufactures industrial-use fabrics, pleaded guilty and was fined $40,000 after a worker was caught in a carding machine and suffered injuries.

On June 24, 2014, a worker who had been with the company for less than three months was assigned to work on a carding machine at the company’s facility at 85 Morrow Road in Barrie. The worker noticed that fibre was accumulating on the materials being processed on the machine – a problem usually a result of a vacuum head being clogged with fibre. To clear the vacuum head, the worker reached in under the table at the face of the carding machine. The worker was pulled into the machine, suffering injury and requiring municipal fire services personnel to extract the worker, as well as surgery for the injury.

The Ministry of Labour investigation found that there was no guard or other device that prevented access to the carding machine’s pinch point. This was against the requirements of Ontario ‘Industrial’ Regulation 851/90.

Albarrie Canada Ltd. pleaded guilty on August 23 was fined $40,000 in Barrie court by Justice of the Peace Ann C. Forfar on October 4, 2016.

New workers of any age who are on the job for less than six months, or who are assigned to a new job, are significantly more likely to be injured on the job than more experienced workers.

My opinion

The law(s) in contravention:

Albarrie Canada Ltd. was found guilty of a contravention of the Ontario ‘Industrial’ Regulation 851/90, Section 25 which states,

“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.”

Albarrie Canada Ltd. was also found guilty of a contravention of the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act, (OHSA) section 25, subsection 1(c) which states,

“An employer shall ensure that,

(c) the measures and procedures prescribed are carried out in the workplace.”

Why was the machine not engineered properly and had pinch point guards installed as required? Why was the worker not properly trained to understand the issues concerning machine guarding? Was the supervisor even aware of the machine guarding issue? Were other employees aware of the concern but no communicating with the new employee in a mentoring program?

All these questions needed to be asked and answered before this, and any other employee begins to work on a particular machine.

I guess Albarrie Canada Ltd. found this out too late and their employee was placed at risk of injury.

I wager the machine has an engineered machine guard now!

Ensure your workplace is a safe place.

Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”

HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Due Diligence’, ‘Machine Guarding’ and ‘Standard Operating Procedures’. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.

We can also be reached at 

‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.

Daniel L. Beal

CHSEP – Advanced Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.

 

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