Ontario is helping to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities for workers on construction sites across the province through the implementation of its Construction Health and Safety Action Plan.Minister of Labour Kevin Flynn announced the plan today at the construction site for the new courthouse in Toronto. Created with input from construction employers, workers and other industry stakeholders, Ontario’s plan contains 16 recommendations to strengthen the prevention of...
Workplace safety is an area of concern for many sectors and industries, but especially for the construction sector, because it has one of the highest rates of accidents and injuries, even deaths, of any workplace category. Constructors, contractors, builders and developers have no greater responsibility than to ensure that every worker goes home to his or her family at the end of the day. That’s why efforts in reducing the rate of injury on construction sites is of utmost importance;...
Sombre, reflective, an honouring of those who lost their lives – all those elements combine every year with the marking of the Westray disaster.
There were 26 coal miners in the final hours of a four-day shift at the Westray mine in Plymouth, N.S., when a coal seam spit a jet of methane gas that somehow ignited. The explosion killed every man in the mine and tore off the metal roof at the pit entrance. A worker reads the explanatory plaques as he attends a service to honour the 26 coal miners who perished in the Westray mine disaster at the Westray Miners Memorial Park in New Glasgow, N.S. on Tuesday. (Andrew...
PICTON, ON – Essroc Canada Inc. pleaded guilty and has been fined $50,000 after a worker was critically injured by a machine. On April 29, 2016, a worker was performing regular duties at the workplace located at 1370 Highway 49 in Picton; the company is a cement producer. The worker went to a mill area to insert a heat blank into an inlet duct, a routinely-performed task. The inlet duct is positioned in close proximity to a dust collector screw conveyor. While inserting the heat...
Falls were the main cause of workplace fatalities in the construction sector in Ontario last year, which is why the Ministry of Labour is making falls its top priority for 2017-18. “Working at heights without proper fall protection and training is simply not acceptable...
KITCHENER, ON – A food processing company in Waterloo has pleaded guilty and has been fined $55,000 after a worker was injured by running blades in a machine. Sunwest Food Processors Ltd. is a mid-sized company that produces a wide range of batter and breaded products on a range of protein, cheeses, seafood and vegetable substrates at its workplace located at 35 Northland Road in Waterloo. On June 1, 2016, a worker was using a ‘former’ machine to process meat – a...
On April 28, Ontario marks the Day of Mourning — a day when we remember and honour those who have died, been injured or become ill on the job. The Day of Mourning is a time to reflect on the past and remember our fallen. It is also an opportunity to look to the future, and reaffirm our commitment to keep workplaces safe. This weekend, people across this province will gather at ceremonies in city squares, union halls and other locations. Flags will be lowered to half-mast to honour loved ones...
TORONTO, ONTARIO – Gay Lea Foods Co-operative Limited (Gay Lea) pleaded guilty and has been fined $70,000 after a worker was injured by machinery. On July 19, 2014, a Gay Lea worker operated a yogurt filling machine at the workplace located at 100 Clayson Road in Toronto. The worker noticed that a yogurt tube was stuck on the line and tried to free it by hand. The worker’s hand then made contact with the machine’s blades, causing injuries. A Ministry of Labour...
BRAMPTON, ONTARIO – The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) was found guilty after a trial and fined $100,000 after a worker was injured and a LCBO location was found to have an unsafe work environment. On April 24, 2013, a LCBO worker was moving a pallet of product using a forklift at the LCBO store located at 170 Sandalwood Parkway in Brampton. As the worker began to insert the forks into the pallet, a sound was heard which caused the worker to get out of the forklift and...