Sifto Canada Corp., operator of a Goderich salt mine, was fined $140,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was killed while waiting for a maintenance person.

In addition to an underground mine, Sifto's Goderich property contains large domes in which salt is stored before being loaded onto ships or railcars. There are open grates in the floors of the storage domes. These allow the salt to flow down onto conveyors leading to the loading area.

On Aug. 25, 2009, a worker was using an excavator to move salt within a dome. The excavator broke down and a maintenance person was called for repairs. While waiting for the repair person, the worker exited the cab of the excavator and began clearing salt from the machine. At this time, the conveyor under the dome started moving and salt began falling through the grate in the floor of the dome. The worker was pulled through the grate with the moving salt and asphyxiated. 

Sifto Canada Corp. pleaded guilty to failing, as an employer, to ensure that the grate in the bottom of the dome was guarded to prevent a worker from being drawn in.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Robert Seneshen. 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.

While completing maintenance on a pumpjack in Alberta, a contractor was killed when the arm of the counter weight struck the worker on the side of the head, according to a Safety Alert released last month by Enform, the safety association for Canada's upstream oil and gas industry. No details about the employer were released.

According to the incident description, a contract oilfield maintenance company was hired by the operator to install insulation around the pumpjack header system and fuel gas line. The insulation was to be installed on the piping prior to winter freezing. The fuel gas line that was to be insulated was positioned below the pumpjack base. The pumpjack was elevated above ground level due to ground elevation issues and wellhead placement.

However, during the installation, the worker entered the danger zone and was struck on the head by the pumpjack counter-weight arm.
 
Enform made recommendation for corrective actions to prevent such incidents in the future:

• Maintenance must not be performed on moving equipment.
• Pumpjacks must be properly shut down and locked out prior to any maintenance operations that occur on a pumpjack or in close proximity to the pumpjack. 
• During any maintenance or hazardous tasks being completed by workers, all hazards need to be addressed and properly eliminated or controlled. 
• Recommended equipment modifications: Pumpjacks that are elevated in the field must have additional guarding installed on them to prevent workers from entering the zone where the weights swing. 
• In the case of elevated pumpjacks, the guarding must be positioned so that no worker can access the zone from below. All companies must ensure there are procedures for locking out and securing energy sources and these procedures are communicated to all applicable workers. Companies may wish to check all pumpjacks and ensure that not only side guards are in place but that guarding is adequate if pumpjack is elevated and therefore  provides opportunity for access from below.

 
According to Enform, reporting is important. Collaboration is a key strategy to reduce injuries, improve efficiencies, and promote positive working relationships. Enform issues Safety Alerts to reduce worker injuries in the Canadian petroleum industry. A Safety Alert can be issued about any industry equipment, process or practice, including: injuries, fatalities, motor vehicle incidents, near hits/misses or other losses; and any activity within the oil and gas industry.
www.enform.ca