Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc., a Toronto natural gas distributor, was fined $50,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a fire at a worksite.

On Sept. 30, 2009, workers were installing a new section of natural gas pipe inside the company's Lisgar Gate Pressure Regulating Station in Mississauga. The workers noticed natural gas leaking from a previously installed section of pipe and the site was evacuated. Shortly afterwards, the natural gas ignited, resulting in a fire. Nobody was injured.

Enbridge Gas Distribution Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that acceptable fabrication practices were used.

In July 2011, the contractor on the project, Robert B. Somerville Co. Limited, pleaded guilty to a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and was fined $50,000.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael Barnes. 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.

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 worker was injured.

On May 25, 2010, at the company's facility in Hamilton, a worker was using a torch to cut a railcar coupling. The coupling contained a cylinder that held compressed hydraulic fluids. The torch pierced the cylinder, allowing the hydraulic fluids to escape and ignite. The worker suffered second and third degree burns.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the company's procedures to identify hazardous materials failed to ensure that objects containing compressed hydraulic fluids were not cut using torches.

Triple M Metal Corp. pleaded guilty to failing take the reasonable precaution of having a safe procedure to ensure that objects being cut contained no hazardous materials.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Hugh Brown. 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.
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Gates Canada Inc., an Alberta automotive part manufacturer, was fined $55,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.

On April 12, 2010, at the company's workplace in Hamilton, workers were clearing pallets that had jammed on an assembly line. One worker had a hand on the conveyor of a machine when part of the machine cycled down, crushing the worker's hand and causing muscle damage.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the power to that part of the assembly line had been disconnected, but there was still residual energy in one of the machine's cylinders, causing it to cycle.

Gates Canada Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the machine was blocked to prevent movement while it was being maintained.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Hugh Brown. 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.
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In February, the Ontario Ministry of Labour will be conducting a month-long blitz on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in the workplace. The MSD blitz will concentrate on manual material handling, especially in the industrial, construction, mining, and health care sectors.

In a post on the Excellence in Manufacturing Consortium's website, they have provided basic guidelines on what to expect:

If you have a visit from the ministry: The inspector will likley perform an administrative review including looking at how your workplace lives up to its roles under the Internal Responsibility System, your MSD injury statistics, your JHSC minutes, your written procedures and training on MSD hazards, and workplace controls that you have implemented or they feel should be implemented.

The last blitz they identified and wrote orders for manual lifting hazards, carrying on ladders, manual lifting with one person, unnecessary repetitive lifting, pushing, pulling or carrying, improper use of transportation carts, and poor workstation layout.

Be prepared: Have a well-documented MSD Prevention Program in place, know and understand the MSD hazards in your workplace, perform a workplace audit or Ergonomic Risk Assessment to understand your level of risk, have MSD-specific strategies in place to reduce risk, conduct training on MSD prevention to all levels of your organization.

Review the steps to an MSD Prevention Program by downloading the MSD Prevention Services brochure here (scroll to the bottom).

Parmalat Canada Inc., a producer of milk and dairy products based in London, Ont., was fined $100,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.

On Dec. 18, 2009, at the company's facility in Mitchell, Ont., a worker was checking that a pipe system had been properly cleaned. The cleaning process involves running hot water through the pipes. While taking apart one of the valves in the pipe system, the worker was suddenly sprayed by hot water. The worker received first and second degree burns.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that there was no need for the water in the pipes to be kept hot while the worker was checking the system.

Parmalat Canada Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that any water remaining in the pipe system was not hot prior to a worker opening the valves of the system.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Lorenzo Palumbo. 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.
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The Ontario Ministry of Labour has released the results of its inspection blitz on access equipment and fall protection safety at construction sites. According to results, close to 3,000 orders were issued under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, including more than 200 stop-work orders.

Workers can suffer serious injuries and death when access equipment is improperly used. Lack of training and non-compliance with manufacturer's instructions are often the cause of these incidents, according to the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

From August 1 to August 31, 2011, Ministry of Labour inspectors conducted a blitz of hazards involving all types of access equipment at Ontario constructions sites. Inspectors checked on compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations.

The blitz focused on the appropriate selection of access equipment and its safe and proper use. This included an equipment audit.

The goals were to:

• raise awareness of access equipment hazards
• encourage employers to identify and control hazards
• address and remedy non-compliance with the OHSA and its regulations
• deter non-compliant employers
• enhance health and safety partnerships, and
• promote improved health and safety for workers using access equipment.

Between 2003 and 2008, more than one-third of fatal falls involving construction workers involved access equipment. In total, 61 construction workers died from falls at construction sites. Of those, 24 fatalities involved access equipment.

On Dec. 24, 2009, four workers fell 13 storeys to their deaths when a swing-stage came apart at a Toronto construction site. A fifth worker survived the fall. This incident prompted a review of Ontario's occupational health and safety system which led to recommendations for major changes that are currently being implemented by the ministry.

In August 2011, ministry inspectors conducted 998 visits to 903 workplaces and issued 2,955 orders under the OHSA, including 243 stop-work orders.

More than 16 per cent of the orders were for contraventions related to the unsafe use of access equipment.

The most commonly issued orders were for lack of adequate supervision and training, and inadequate implementation of a well functioning internal responsibility system (IRS).

Inspection blitzes are part of the province's Safe At Work Ontario compliance strategy. They are announced to the sector by the ministry in advance, although individual workplaces are not identified in advance. Results are posted on the Ontario labour ministry's website. The blitzes raise awareness of known workplace hazards and promote compliance with the OHSA and its regulations.

Inspectors' findings may impact the frequency of future inspections to particular types of workplaces. Inspectors may also refer employers to health and safety associations for workplace compliance assistance and training.

The results of the ministry's blitz on access equipment indicate that safe use of access equipment and fall protection continue to be the two major health and safety concerns related to access equipment on construction projects. Inspectors also noted a lack of compliance with personal protective equipment and housekeeping requirements.

These findings demonstrate a need for increased worker supervision and a better understanding of legislative knowledge among supervisors. The absence of basic safety-related personal protective equipment also demonstrates a need for increased importance to be placed on fundamental safety practices on construction projects. The relatively high percentage of orders related to emergency procedures (seventh on the list of most issued orders) is an indicator that workers are not exercising their OHSA rights to know, participate and refuse unsafe work.

There is a need for increased engagement in health and safety practices among all workplace parties, the ministry said in a statement. Employers should focus on training, self-compliance, personal protective equipment, fall protection, utilizing tools and equipment as per manufacturers' instructions, hazard assessments and emergency procedures.

The results of this blitz confirm a continued need for training, education and enforcement activities across all construction sectors. The ministry said it will continue to focus on:

• compliance with the administrative responsibilities of workplace parties under the OHSA and its regulations; and
• injury and illness performance in the construction industry, including major hazards and key issues identified during the blitz.

Find more details about the results of the inspection blitz on access equipment on the Ministry of Labour's website.

The Ministry of Labour also offers a downloadable access equipment safety poster available on its website.

KSR International Co., carrying on business as Dresden Industrial-Ridgetown, a maker of vehicle parts, was fined $50,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.

On May 20, 2010, at the company's facility in Ridgetown, Ont., a worker was trying to fix a press that was not working. The worker entered the press to determine the problem and correct it. When the press started working again, it closed on part of the worker's hand, injuring the worker.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the worker had not used a block to stop the press from moving.

KSR International Co., carrying on business as Dresden Industrial-Ridgetown, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the press had maintenance work preformed on it only after it had been blocked to prevent its movement.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael Hurst. 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.

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Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Corp., a Toronto-based company that designs and builds tunnel boring machines (TBMs) used to dig underground circular tunnels, was fined $130,000 on Dec. 22, 2011, for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.

On Sept. 15, 2010, the TBM involved in the incident had been hydraulically pressurized to ensure its components and functions were working properly. The TBM contained a safety device called an accumulator, which remains pressurized even when the rest of the machine is not pressurized or otherwise operational. The accumulator must be depressurized separately prior to its disassembly. That afternoon, the company failed to confirm that the accumulator had been depressurized, as that person responsible for this task had been directed to help with other work.

Later in the evening, a worker was directed by a supervisor to help two other workers to disassemble and prepare the TBM for shipment. When the crew unscrewed a hydraulic hose that was connected to the accumulator, a jet of hydraulic oil hit the worker in the face and neck. The worker then fell and suffered head injuries.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Caterpillar Tunneling Canada, as an employer, failed to ensure the pressure inside the gas compartment of the accumulator was adjusted to atmospheric pressure before a hydraulic fitting was removed.

Caterpillar Tunneling Canada was fined $130,000 by Justice of the Peace D. Keith Currie. 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.
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Ontario will target workplace hazards related to racking and storage during an enforcement blitz at industrial workplaces across the province.

In November, Ministry of Labour inspectors will check for hazards involving the installation, use, maintenance and repair of racking and storage systems. This includes ensuring material is safely placed and stored on racks.

They will check that:

• Racking is selected and installed in a hazard-free manner
• Racking is properly maintained and repaired
• Material is safely loaded onto racks by appropriate lift trucks, and
• Aisles are obstruction-free, lighting is adequate and pallets are in good condition.

Protecting workers is part of the government's ongoing commitment to prevent workplace injuries through its Safe At Work Ontario strategy

“Workers can be seriously injured or killed if pallet racks are incorrectly installed or used," said Linda Jeffrey, Minister of Labour. "The [government] is committed to eliminating workplace injuries. Workers have a right to return home each day, safe and sound.”

Examples of safety issues involving racking and storage include:

• poor storage rack design
• incorrect installation and assembly of racking system
• structural problems with the floors or walls of the storage area such as uneven floors and overloaded supporting structures
• concrete floors with cracks and breaks around the racking unit anchors resulting in racking that is not level
• poor/inadequate storage rack maintenance and repair
• incorrect use of racking or overloading
• lack of regular inspection and maintenance program, and
• products sticking out the back of the racking.

Deficiencies can lead to:

• partial or total failure/collapse of racking systems;
• forklifts colliding with racks causing material to be displaced or causing potential damage to the racking itself;
• material falling through the back of the racks; and
• high floor vibration at forge shops causing loads to crawl and fall off the rack if not properly secured.

Between 2006 and 2010, three workers died and 45 others received serious injuries in racking and storage incidents. Since 2008, ministry inspectors conducted more than 266,000 field visits, 36 inspection blitzes and issued more than 426,000 compliance orders.
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Waldemar Kozuchowski, sole proprietor of Infinity Marble of Canada, a synthetic marble and granite manufacturing company, was fined $17,000 for failing to comply with inspectors' orders.

On May 22, 2009, Ministry of Labour inspectors visited Kozuchowski's business in Carleton Place, Ont. They noticed several health and safety violations and issued Kozuchowski orders to comply with the legislation. Inspectors made several followup visits, but the violations remained and the inspectors had to write more orders. Between May 22, 2009 and May 5, 2010, inspectors wrote a total of 23 orders for various violations.

Of those orders, 15 were not complied with and were mostly related to the following violations:

• Flammable liquids were improperly stored;
• The mixing area was not properly ventilated;
• There was no system to contain spills;
• The spray booth was missing a make-up air system;
• Material safety data sheets for controlled products were not readily available to workers; and
• Housekeeping practices were not adequate to control dust hazards.

Kozuchowski was found guilty of 15 counts of failing to comply with an order issued by an inspector. He was fined $3,000 for failing to comply with the stop work order and $1,000 for failing to comply with each of 14 additional orders.
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