BRAMPTON, ONT. — Just days after an Ontario government court bulletin was released stating Brampton Brick Limited had been fined $225,000 after a worker fatality, the company has again been fined $65,000 in relation to a separate incident that took place in 2023.
A news release reports on April 21, 2023, a worker was cleaning a mold that was being used on a block machine to make retaining wall products. Since the same mold would be used during the next shift, the worker decided to clean the mold inside the machine, rather than remove it.
In order to clean hardened debris from the mold, the worker opened the machine’s guard that prevented access to the block machine’s moving parts but did not lock out the machine or turn off the power. To fully access the back of the mold, the worker asked a co-worker for help raising the head of the machine.
To lift the head, the co-worker had to move the two bottom toggle switches on the machine’s control panel at the same time. The co-worker mistakenly moved the switches in the wrong direction, critically injuring the other worker, the release reads.
A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation determined although the employer had procedures, training and signage to the contrary, it was standard practice at the workplace not to lock out the block machine when cleaning the molds to save time.
As a result, Brampton Brick Limited failed to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker with respect to safely cleaning the mold of the block machine, contrary to sections 25(2)(a) and 66(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Following a guilty plea on Feb. 5 in Provincial Offences Court in Brockville, Brampton Brick Limited was fined by Justice of the Peace Bryan Snyder.
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