Glass manufacturer fined after worker injured by conveyor

Southwest Glass Products Inc., a Toronto, Ont.-based glass manufacturer, was fined $50,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured by a conveyor.

On September 9, 2010, at the company’s London, Ont., plant, a worker was unloading glass sheets from a mechanized conveyor. The worker stumbled and reached out to stop from falling. The worker’s hand made contact with a mechanized roller on the conveyor and was pulled around the roller. The worker lost a finger and a tendon.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the employer had installed a guardrail in front of the conveyor, but it was removed by workers to make their job easier. At the time of the incident, there were no other protective devices to prevent workers from accessing the rollers on that part of the conveyor.

Southwest Glass Products Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the conveyor was guarded to prevent access to its moving parts. In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-percent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.