Excerpt from the OH&S Canada magazine (March 2017)
Two firms in Newmarket, Ontario were fined on February 03, 2017, over unrelated workplace incidents, the provincial labour ministry says.
A company that repairs cranes and other lifting devices was fined $125,000 over an electrocution on July 16, 2015. An employee and manager of Konecranes Canada Inc., were repairing a 20-ton overhead gantry for Van-Rob Inc., an auto-parts in Richmond Hill. The manager, who was inside a scissor-lift, received an electrical shock about 600 volts from the crane and later passed away in a hospital. The subsequent investigation revealed that the other worker had not followed the company’s standard energy-isolation and verification procedures.
A second company, which manufactures windows and doors, was fined $150,000 on the same day for a fatality in Concord, Ontario. On March 01. 2015, two employees of FranCar 2000 Inc., were adding vent sashes to windows that they were placing on an easel, a type of free-standing workstation. The amount of material on the easel caused it to tip over, striking the workers and knocking them to the ground. The easel landed on one of the workers and caused fatal crushing injuries.
A subsequent investigation revealed that the back of the easel had been serving as storage for other materials at the time of the incident and that the additional weight of the windows had caused it to tip over.
My opinion
Without looking at the original report I would say that FranCar 2000 Inc. was in violation of section 72, subsection 1(a) and 1(b) of the Ontario ‘Industrial Establishments’ sector regulation 851/90 which states,
72.1,“Where a structure is damaged to the extent that a collapse of the structure or any part of the structure is likely to occur and cause injury to a worker,
(a) the structure shall be braced and shored to prevent the collapse of the structure; or
(b) effective safeguards shall be provided to prevent access to the area.”
They also could have been charged under 851/90, section 45, subsection (a) and section (b) I which states,
“Material, articles or things,
(a) required to be lifted, carried or moved, shall be lifted, carried or moved in such a way and with such precautions and safeguards, including protective clothing, guards or other precautions as will ensure that the lifting, carrying or moving of the material, articles or things does not endanger the safety of any worker;
(b) shall be transported, placed or stored so that the material, articles or things,
(i) will not tip, collapse or fall.”
Konecranes Canada may have been charged under reg. 851/90, section 42, subsections 1 and 2 which states,
- (1) “The power supply to electrical installations, equipment or conductors shall be disconnected, locked out of service and tagged before any work is done, and while it is being done, on or near live exposed parts of the installations, equipment or conductors.
(2) Before beginning the work, each worker shall determine if the requirements of subsection (1) have been complied with.”
In any event, these employees did not need to be injured or killed. There are too many safeguards that should have been in place to prevent any accident.
As a trainer in both Elevating Work Platform (EWP) and Overhead Cranes (OHC) Everyone knows the crane MUST be locked and tagged out when an EWP is in the area.
HRS Group Inc. has a great team that can help you with all your health and safety needs including ‘Electrical Safety Awareness’ and ‘Lockout and Tagout’. Contact Deborah toll free at 1-877-907-7744 or locally at 705-749-1259.
We can also be reached at info@hrsgroup.com
Ensure your workplace is a safe place.
Remember – In Ontario, “ALL Accidents are Preventable”
‘Work’ and ‘Play’ safe.
Daniel L. Beal
CHSEP – Advanced Level
CEO & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.
This is really good!
Great!