Hamilton’s ArcelorMittal Dofasco ordered to pay $175K over ‘critical’ workplace injury
Published May 26, 2023 at 7:34 pm
ArcelorMittal Dofasco has been convicted and fined $175,000 after one of its employees was seriously injured while working at its steel mill in Hamilton.
The offence happened on June 26, 2021, at the company’s Number 2 Tube Mill at 1330 Burlington Street E. in Hamilton, according to the province’s court bulletin. The bulletin was released on Friday, May 26.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development conducted an investigation, finding an “in-running nip hazard on machinery was unguarded resulting in a critical injury to a worker,” according to the bulletin. The hazard refers to moving parts of the machinery that could nip or pinch someone.
According to the bulletin, four workers were preparing a production line for a tool change at the company’s Number 2 Tube Mill on June 26, 2021, before one employee suffered a “critical injury.” ArcelorMittal Dofasco said one of its employees was seriously injured after the person’s hand was pulled into a pinch point on a tubular line.
“It is difficult to reflect on this accident and to comprehend the impact of this injury on our colleague and their family,” the company said in an emailed statement to inthehammer.com
ArcelorMittal Dofasco was convicted on May 18. It had pleaded guilty in Provincial Offences Court in Hamilton. The court also imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, which is “credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.”
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The company was found to have violated section 25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which states: “An in-running nip hazard or any part of a machine, device or thing that may endanger the safety of any worker shall be equipped with and guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the pinch point.”
ArcelorMittal Dofasco said it respects the decision and has made changes.
“As a result of this accident, enhanced guarding has been installed as well as interlocking that will prevent the line from running if in place,” it said in a statement.
“Updates have also been made to the standard operating procedure for the task including the four-step isolation process to prevent this from happening again. … The safety, health and wellbeing of everyone working on site is a core value and this incident and the resulting impact of the serious injury our colleague suffered is regrettable.”
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