Brampton, ON – Amhil Enterprises Ltd., a Burlington manufacturer of plastic products, was fined $55,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.
On June 29, 2010, at the company’s Mississauga facility, a supervisor and two workers were clearing a jam in a machine. The machine was not locked out to prevent it from reenergizing. When the supervisor left to get assistance, one of the workers put a hand into an opening in the machine and part of the worker’s hand was severed.
The company had a general lock out policy, but it did not have a written policy for the lock out and tag of out this particular machine.
Amhil Enterprises Ltd. pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of having a written policy for the lock out and tag out of the machine.
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.