Ontario manufacturer CS Wind fined $60K after worker injury

March 22, 2019 – CS Wind Canada Inc., a manufacturer and supplier of wind towers that is currently in a state of shutdown, has been fined $60,000 by the Ontario Ministry of Labour after a worker suffered permanent injury at its facility in Windsor, Ontario. 

The incident occurred on October 30, 2017. CS Wind pleaded guilty to the charge, and was also charged a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge by Justice of the Peace Susan Hoffman in Windsor Court. The surcharge goes to a provincial government fund to assist victims of crime. 

According to the Ministry of Labour’s report, a worker had signed on to participate in a special project at the workplace as part of the facility’s shutdown process. The task consisted of disassembling flanges – that is, wind tower sections formed of large metal rings – for to dispose of them as scrap metal.

On the date of the incident, the worker was at the facility to disassemble flanges. To do so, the worker placed one side of each flange on a stand and used an acetylene gas torch to make cuts at the raised area.

The worker began to work on a flange and made two cuts. On the third cut, the worker initially stood on the outside perimeter of the flange and subsequently stepped to the inside perimeter to continue. As the cut completed, the flange piece turned inward and fell on the worker.

As a result of the event, the worker suffered a severe injury resulting in a permanent injury.

The Ministry of Labour investigation determined that CS Wind had not provided workers with information, instruction and/or instruction with respect to a safe procedure for cutting wind tower sections, in violoation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).

CS Wind was previously convicted under the OHSA in Windsor on August 18, 2016 for failing to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker. In that incident, a worker suffered multiple injuries from the movement of components of a wind tower under construction. The company was fined $60,000 for that offence as well.