BOWMANVILLE, ONT. — A cement company has been fined $165,000 after a worker suffered a critical injury while performing maintenance testing work at the Bowmanville, Ont. facility.
Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice in Oshawa, St. Marys Cement Inc. (Canada) was convicted and fined on Oct. 8.
On October 8, 2019, the company, which produces cementitious materials, was conducting testing on equipment in the finish mill at the Bowmanville facility, located at 400 Bowmanville Ave. The area is where a fine cement powder is produced.
On the day of the incident, an analysis was being conducted of the equipment’s condition using vibration measurements which can only be taken while the equipment is active.
Inside the cement cooler, there is a rotor that has a spiral cage up against the tube that moves cement powder up against that outside wall to cool the cement powder.
The worker climbed the access ladder and started to take vibration measurements at various locations while the equipment was in operation and during this process the worker stepped on the access hatch cover, which then flipped inward, causing a critical injury, states a court bulletin.
An investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Labour concluded St. Marys did commit the offence of failing, as an employer, to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed by subsection 15(a) of Ontario Regulation 851 R.R.O. 1990, as amended, were carried out in the workplace which is contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O., 1990, c.O.1, as amended.
Specifically, St. Marys failed to ensure that an access hatch cover located atop of Finish Mill Cooler 1 was secured in place.
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