Metal fabricator fined $125K after worker crushed to death at Ontario plant
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
A worker was killed at the R.J. Cyr Company's Windsor-area plant while preparing to do touch up on a pair of conveyor skids
MAIDSTONE, Ont.—An Ontario metal fabricator that makes custom conveyors is facing a $125,000 fine after a worker was killed at its Maidstone, Ont. plant.
The incident happened at R.J. Cyr Company Inc.’s facility near Windsor, Ont. in November of 2016 and involved a worker being crushed by a conveyor skid.
According to the Ministry of Labour, the worker was using an overhead crane to place two conveyor skids on their sides in order to do touch up work. The worker moved the skids into position and detached them from the crane before attempting to clamp them to a support structure below. When attempting to clamp down the skids, one of the 1,228-pound units tipped over and pinned the worker to the concrete floor. The worker was killed during the incident.
There were no witnesses, but the accident was captured on a surveillance camera.
An investigation following the death found no evidence the worker had not been instructed to leave the conveyor skid connected to the crane until the skid was secured to the support structure. The province’s health and safety code spells out the need for machinery or objects to be secured against tipping.
