Worksite explosion leads to injuries and $90K fine for Ontario company

An explosion while testing a prototype power system left three workers injured and led to a $90,000 fine for an Ontario company, the province says.

The workplace incident happened on Nov. 14, 2023, at an AlumaPower Corporation facility in Sarnia, Ontario’s Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development says.

The company develops, fabricates and tests experimental technology used to produce electricity, and the explosion happened while testing a prototype piece of equipment which produces electricity through a chemical reaction.

That reaction releases hydrogen gas, and the ministry says the flammable gas built up inside the enclosed space. Three workers were injured in the explosion, which occurred inside a fume hood where the test was taking place.

The ministry found the testing process “was not carried out in an area designed or rated for the hazard,” and that the space “also contained several potential ignition sources and did not meet required safety standards for processes capable of producing explosive gases.”

AlumaPower Corporation was fined $90,000 in April, and the court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act, which is credited to assist the victims of crime.

All three workers recovered from their injuries and returned to work, and the ministry says AlumaPower Corporation had no prior convictions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.