An Essex company has been fined $40,000 after a worker was critically hurt in a 2018 incident.
According to a release from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Sellick Equipment Ltd., located on Roseborough Road in Harrow, pleaded guilty last week in Windsor provincial offences court and was assessed the fine plus a 25 per cent victim surcharge.
The accident took place on November 23, 2018, when a worker in the firm's fabrication department was operating a crane that was attached to a chain hoist and a Mag-Mate lift magnet, according to Ministry of Labour spokesperson Janet DeLine.
"The worker was using the magnet to transport a chrome-plated steel bar which weighed 233 pounds. The worker was transferring the chrome bar into a drawer to be stored," wrote DeLine. "While the bar was suspended by the magnet, the worker reached underneath the chrome bar in order to move metal bars within the storage drawer. While doing so, the chrome bar dislodged and fell, striking the worker and causing critical injuries."
According to the report, the Ministry discovered that the surface of the magnet was not kept free of debris, with small fragments of steel burrs and metal shavings. The injured worker did receive on-the-job training but did not get specific training on the overhead magnet.
"The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) requires an employer to ensure that the equipment, materials and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition," wrote DeLine.