Rainy River sawmill fined for safety violations (7/03)

A Rainy River sawmill was fined $49,500 for five violations under the provincial Occupational and Safety Act.

A numbered company, 912189, operating as Koeneman Lumber, a logging company with a sawmill operation, was fined for five violations after a worker was injured on Dec. 11, 2001.

A worker was reaching into the cutting area of a chop saw to remove a piece of wood when the worker’s right thumb and tip of the right index finger were dismembered.

The saw was activated when the worker inadvertently stepped on an uncovered, unguarded foot switch.

A Ministry of Labour investigation revealed the employer failed to ensure the employee used proper procedures for locking out the control switches when the starting of the machines could endanger them. The worker had been on the job for seven days. The incident occurred at Koeneman Lumber’s sawmill on Highway 11.

The company pleaded guilty, June 27, for failing to ensure control switches were locked out, failing to ensure that a pinch point in a chain drive on the roller in-feed was guarded and failing to comply with inspector’s orders. They also pleaded guilty for failing to ensure workers wore head protection and failing to ensure only workers over the age of 15 were employed.

Justice of the Peace Pat Clysdale of the Ontario Court of Justice in Fort Frances fined the company $20,000 on the first count, $5,000 on the second count, $12,000 on the third count, $2,500 on the fourth count and $10,000 on the fifth count.