Another Canadian manufacturer is facing a big fine for failing to protect a worker in a scissor lift.
It's an expensive lesson that reinforces the message that organizations have a hefty responsibility to protect their team.
Brantford, Ontario, based manufacturer Wescast Industries systems, has been fined $110,000 after a worker sustained arm and head injuries in a fall at the company's Strathroy plant.
On January 11 last year a worker was preforming maintenance on a ventilation system with the Skyjack scissor lift he was operating tipped over. A Ministry of Labour investigation found that a tire on the Skyjack drove into an opening in a coolant collection trough, causing the machine to tip.
The court found Wescast failed to ensure that the worksite floor was free from the obstruction or hazard of an uncovered opening in the trough, and failed to ensure that a grate for the trough was secured in place. The injured worker suffered a fracture in the arm and head injuries as a result of the incident.
Wescast was found guilty after a trial on July 11, 2013 and has been fined $110,000 by Justice of the Peace Anna Hampson in the Provincial Offices Court in London. The company must also pay a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge.
