Lafarge hit with fine after worker shocked at Bath, Ont. cement plant
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
A contract worker was taken to hospital after being shocked when cleaning electrostatic precipitators at the facility
BATH, Ont.—Cement giant LafargeHolcim has been hit with a $115,000 fine for a workplace incident involving a contract worker at its manufacturing plant in Bath, Ont.
The accident took place in March of last during the company’s yearly preventative maintenance effort at its facility west of Kingston, Ont. The worker received an electrical shock and was taken to hospital, but did not suffer a permanent injury.
According to the Ministry of Labour, the worker was one of a number of contractors hired by Lafarge Canada to manually clean electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) at the plant. The ESPs at the site are divided into two north and south sections, and while the electricity to the north section had been cut, the south remained energized. The worker was cleaning insulators in the north section, but when opening one of the access panels was shocked; that section of the ESP happened to energize both the north and south sections of the plant.
The worker fell to the ground, but was able to speak to other workers before being taken to hospital for treatment.
Lafarge pleaded guilty to violating the province’s safety act by failing to ensure the power supply was disconnected, locked out and tagged out.
