July 18, 2012
Province Advises Business Prosecuted for Workplace Incident
– – –Company fined $60,050
Manitoba Family Services and Labour advises employers should be aware that it is their role to ensure workplaces are safe and employees receive proper training. When a workplace incident occurs, Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) investigates and can recommend prosecution if it is determined the employer did not have appropriate safeguards in place or employees had not been properly trained.
On March 10, 2010, a 44-year-old worker at Cadorath Plating Co. Ltd. in Winnipeg was injured on the job. Three fingers from his left hand were severed when a punch press machine top plate activated and pressed down over his fingers. The company failed to ensure the punch press had safeguards installed to prevent workers from having contact with hazardous points of the machine.
On July 12, 2012, the employer pleaded guilty under section 16.5(1)(b) of the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Regulation to the charge of failing to ensure the machine had safeguards to prevent a worker from having contact with points of the machine where material is cut, shaped or bored.
The company was fined $60,050.
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