Post #354 – Triple M Metal Corp. Fined $75,000 after Injury

Excerpt from the Government of Ontario’s ‘Newsroom’

Triple M Metal Corp., a Brampton company that recycles metal, was fined $75,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a visitor to its scrap yard was injured.

On August 28, 2008, a scrap dealer drove into the company’s Brampton scrap yard to sell a manually operated lifting device as scrap metal. The device had tipped in transport so the scrap dealer asked for help removing it from the truck. A Triple M worker tried to use a lift truck to stabilize the device and remove it from the truck. During this process the device tipped over and pinned the scrap dealer, injuring the dealer’s leg, hand and rib.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the device to be lifted required specific lifting instructions that were not provided to the lift truck operator before the attempt to move it. The method of stabilizing the device was inadequate and no precautions were taken to ensure that lifting the device would not endanger any worker.

Triple M Metal Corp. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the manually operated lifting device was lifted in a way that would not endanger any worker.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Jerome Redmond. In addition to the fine, the court 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.

My opinion

The law(s) in contravention:

Triple M Metal Corporation was found guilty of violating section 45 (a) of the Ontario ‘Industrial’ regulation 851/90 which states,

“Materials, 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.”

I see this type of accident more often than naught. The idea to have a proper procedure for every type of job is still foreign to many workers.

Here we find that everyone involved should have been given the proper information to properly move the unit. In this case, a little pre-work would have saved time and energy and would probably have eliminated the accident from happening at all. The workers would have been better aware of the hazardous possibilities and worked to avoid them.

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 ‘Forklift Certification’ Standard Operating Procedures’ and ‘Forklift Re-Certification’. 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 — Foundation Level
VP & Senior Trainer
HRS Group Inc.