Company in Brampton Slapped With Fine After Worker’s Arms Pulled into Machine

Published January 10, 2018 at 1:09 am

After a worker sustained critical injuries on the job a year and a half ago, a roofing products company in Brampton is facing the consequences.

After a worker sustained critical injuries on the job a year and a half ago, a roofing products company in Brampton is facing the consequences.

I.G. Machine & Fibers Ltd at 87 Orenda Road in Brampton has been fined $65,000 following a guilty plea after a worker’s arm was pulled into the rollers of a laminator machine.

According to the Ministry of Labour, on August 8, 2016, a worker was operating a laminator machine at the company’s location on Orenda Road. 

“The machine was designed to automatically join asphalt and fiberglass materials together by the process of heat-welding; this process produces roof membranes for commercial roofing applications that prevent moisture penetration,” explained the Minstry of Labour in a recent statement. The process involved feeding roofing material through large rollers.”

As the worker adjusted the product that was being fed through the rollers of the machine, the worker’s arms were pulled between the rollers. 

An anti-nip bar that would typically prevent access to the rollers and act as a guard had been removed at the time of the incident.

The worker suffered serious injuries.

According to the Industrial Establishments Regulation, “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.”

Since there was no guard on the machine, I.G. Machine was found to have failed as an employer to ensure that the measures and procedures prescribed by the regulation were carried out at the workplace.

The court also 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.

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