$100,000 workplace fine for Kitchener manufacturer and its CEO
A Kitchener company and its CEO have been fined $100,000 for machine guarding violations.
THS Industries Ltd., on Manitou Drive, is a steel nail manufacturing company.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development said the company and its CEO Xiaoye He “failed to take all reasonable care to ensure equipment, materials and protective devices… were provided for nail-maker machines, leaving workers at risk of accessing moving parts inside the machine.”
On Dec. 22, 2021, occupational health and safety inspectors visited THS Industries Ltd. to “investigate an anonymous complaint that workers were bypassing machine guarding devices on nail-maker machines.”
They found unfixed access gates on several of them.
The investigators learned of one case, where an employee was seen “working inside an open access gate of a running machine”, and in another instance, “a machine’s lid was open while the machine was running.”
Inspectors also found that “fixed guards had been removed around a significant number of nail-maker machines and at multiple locations on each machine.”
The ministry said no one was hurt but the machine changes could have resulted in serious injuries.
THS Industries Inc. was fined $85,000 plus an additional $15,000 for He, as well as a 25 per cent surcharge which will go to a special provincial fund to assist victims.
The ministry said this was the third conviction in six years for THS Industries Ltd.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW What Canada is doing about the toxic forever chemicals in drinking water
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
Prince William returns to public duties after wife Kate's cancer revelation
Prince William will return to public duties on Thursday for the first time since his wife Kate revealed she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy for cancer.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson Airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Russia reports downing 5 Ukrainian military balloons in Kyiv's latest apparent war innovation
Russian air defences downed what authorities described as five Ukrainian balloons overnight, the defence ministry in Moscow said Thursday, as the sides kept up long-range strikes that have featured heavily in what has largely become a war of attrition.
Frustrated farmers are rebelling against EU rules. The far right is stoking the flames
Mainstream political parties failed to act on European farmers' complaints for decades, one farmer says. Now the radical right is stepping in.