$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
Unable to leave Syria, mothers of Canadian children forfeit repatriation to keep their families together
In a choice forced upon them by the Canadian government, four mothers have made the agonizing decision to forfeit an opportunity to repatriate their children from open air prisons in northeast Syria.

MP Han Dong issues libel notice to Global News over China interference reporting
Lawyers representing Toronto MP Han Dong served Global News with a libel notice on Friday over reports that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of the two Michaels, and that he was a 'witting affiliate' of Chinese interference networks – allegations that Dong denies.
Federal minimum wage, taxes on alcohol: Here's what's changing in Canada April 1
The federal minimum wage is increasing from $15.55 per hour to $16.65, and taxes are going up on gas and alcohol nationwide starting April 1.
Here's what to expect from the Canadian cottage market this year
A recent report from Royal LePage is predicting a drop in prices for Canadian cabins and cottages this year as demand softens from economic uncertainty and low housing stock.
Interim RCMP commissioner would support Criminal Code changes for stricter gun laws
Interim RCMP commissioner Michael Duheme says he would support the Criminal Code changes recommended in the Mass Casualty Commission report to implement stricter gun laws.
Akwesasne: Bodies of two more migrants found, bring total dead to eight
Police say the bodies of eight migrants have been retrieved from the waters off the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, straddling the Canada - U.S. border. The people whose bodies were recovered Thursday and Friday consisted of two families of Romanian and Indian origins who were likely trying to enter the U.S. illegally, police said Friday.
Donald Trump facing at least one felony charge in New York case: AP sources
Former U.S. president Donald Trump is facing multiple charges of falsifying business records, including at least one felony offence, in the indictment handed down by a Manhattan grand jury, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday.
A 106-year-old from the Philippines is Vogue's oldest ever cover model
Vogue Philippines has revealed Apo Whang-Od as the cover star of its April issue, a move that makes the 106-year-old tattoo artist from the Philippines the oldest person ever to appear on the front of Vogue.
Trudeau defends appointment of cabinet minister's sister-in-law as interim ethics commissioner
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending the appointment of senior Liberal cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc's sister-in-law as Canada's interim ethics commissioner.