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Penalties - Manufacturing
Penalties are fines for health and safety violations of the Workers Compensation Act and/or the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. For information on when penalties are considered and how the amount of the penalty is calculated, see the FAQs.
The address given is the location where the violation occurred and is not necessarily the address of the penalized business. The registered business name is given as well as any "doing business as" (DBA) name.
The delay between the date of the penalty and publication of the penalty by WorkSafeBC is partially a result of allowing time for employers and other interested parties to respond to the initial penalty and for the appeal process.
Manufacturing
Recent Penalties
Company: P.G. Sort Yard Ltd. / 550031 BC Ltd., Prince George 
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $28,853
Date of penalty: June 12, 2009
This was a repeated violation. This firm failed to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation regarding lockout, safeguarding, and a safe means of crossing transfer decks.
Company: Metal & Wood Products (1958) Ltd., Vancouver
Classification unit: Structural metal product fabrication
Amount: $9,253
Date of penalty: May 14, 2009
This employer failed to safeguard or lock out a punch press, which resulted in serious injury to a worker's hands when the worker adjusted a rubber stripper to the press. The employer also failed to supervise and train its workers or provide written lockout procedures.
Company: Westshore Specialties Ltd., Delta
Classification unit: Planing mill
Amount: $27,288
Date of penalty: March 16, 2009
This employer failed to ensure the health and safety of a worker assigned by another employer to carry out that other employer's work using an inadequately safeguarded machine. This employer owned the machine, which was located in premises also owned by this employer. The worker was seriously injured when he accessed an inadequately safeguarded hazardous point of operation at the outfeed of the machine.
Company: CCI Industries Ltd., Richmond
Classification unit: Concrete product manufacture
Amount: $79,958
Date of penalty: February 16, 2009
This employer failed to ensure that equipment was locked out before performing maintenance work, and also failed to provide adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision with respect to lockout.
Company: Delta Pacific Seafoods Ltd., Delta
Classification unit: Fish processing, fish reduction, or fish canning
Amount: $90,165
Date of penalty: September 25, 2008
Serious injury. This firm repeatedly failed to ensure that a worker wears a seatbelt when operating a forklift. It also repeatedly failed to ensure adequate lights on a forklift, to ensure adequate illumination in work areas, and to ensure workers exposed to forklift traffic wear high-visibility apparel. In this case, a worker was struck by a forklift. At the time of the incident, the forklift's rear headlamp was inoperable, and the forklift was not equipped with a mirror that provided its operator with an undistorted view to the rear of the forklift. Further, the lighting installed on the side of the main building was being blocked by stacked fish totes. A subsequent inspection revealed that, even without the stacked totes, the illumination in the area was below that required by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Company: Rolling Mix Concrete (BC) Ltd., Prince George
Classification unit: Ready mix concrete manufacture and delivery
Amount: $5,696
Date of penalty: February 19, 2008
This firm failed to properly control the exposure of workers to environmental tobacco smoke in the workplace.
Prior Penalties in Date Order
Company: Alla Cabinet (2002) Ltd., Vancouver
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $3,157
Date of penalty: May 11, 2009
Repeated non-compliance. This employer failed to ensure that workers replaced guards over exposed table-saw blades after completing woodworking operations, where the use of guards was clearly impracticable. The employer demonstrated repeated non-compliance with section 12.59(1) of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Company: Delta Cedar Products Ltd., et al., Delta
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $68,750
Date of penalty: March 16, 2009
A worker was seriously injured when he accessed an inadequately safeguarded, hazardous point-of-operation at the outfeed of a machine. This employer failed to ensure the health and safety of a worker assigned to carry out the employer's work using an inadequately safeguarded machine. The machine was owned by another employer and was located in premises owned by that employer.
Company: Arktos Developments Ltd., Surrey
Classification unit: Aircraft, automobile, or truck assembly
Amount: $25,810
Date of penalty: March 13, 2009
Multiple violations. This employer failed to ensure the health and safety of a worker, failed to ensure that only trained and qualified workers were allowed to operate forklifts, failed to ensure that workers were adequately supervised, and failed to ensure safe operation of the forklift through regular inspection and maintenance by a qualified mechanic.
Company: Viceroy Homes Ltd., Richmond
Classification unit: Modular or prefabricated building manufacture
Amount: $70,426
Date of penalty: February 10, 2009
A young worker was fatally injured when a cart carrying 1,000 kilos (2,200 pounds) of wooden trusses tipped over and landed on the worker. This employer failed to ensure the health and safety of its workers by not providing adequate supervision and by failing to have written safe work procedures in place.
Company: PMC Builders & Developers Ltd., Vancouver
Classification unit: Structural metal product fabrication
Amount: $34,272
Date of penalty: February 9, 2009
Repeated violations. A worker was welding from a scaffold platform erected atop a plywood platform supported by a roof deck. The worker was at risk of a potential fall of about 7.5 m (25 ft.). No guardrails were present, nor was the worker wearing fall protection equipment, despite the availability of fall protection equipment on site.
Company: Apollo Forest Products Ltd., Fort Saint James
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $14,415
Date of penalty: November 18, 2008
This employer failed on more than one occasion to report serious accidents to WorkSafeBC or to immediately conduct accident investigations as required by the Workers Compensation Act.
Company: Catalyst Paper Corporation, Campbell River
Classification unit: Pulp and paper mill
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: October 22, 2008
A serious and avoidable violation of requirements to identify and assess the risk of asbestos exposure, resulting in uncontrolled worker exposure to loose asbestos debris and associated fibres.
Company: Kent Metal Products Ltd., Vancouver
Classification unit: Sheet metal fabrication
Amount: $12,791
Date of penalty: October 15, 2008
This employer failed to comply with previously issued orders regarding safeguarding of equipment.
Company: Planit Industries & Research Ltd., Langley
Classification unit: Plastic product manufacture
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: October 10, 2008
This employer knowingly violated a stop work order.
Company: Custom Metal Products Inc., Coombs
Classification unit: Metal product manufacture
Amount: $6,069
Date of penalty: October 7, 2008
Two workers sustained crushing and amputation injuries to their fingers as a result of using unguarded power punch press equipment. This employer failed to safeguard the equipment and to provide adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision to ensure the safety of workers.
Company: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Fort Saint John
Classification unit: Oil or gas production
Amount: $29,412
Date of penalty: October 6, 2008
As prime contractor of the worksite, this firm failed to do everything within reason to establish and maintain a system or process to ensure compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. This is a repeated violation.
Company: Noble Custom Cut Ltd., Maple Ridge
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $11,921
Date of penalty: July 24, 2008
Failure to safeguard various chain sprocket drives and V-belt drive components to provide an emergency stopping device on trim saws and to protect workers from rotting logs.
Company: Encana Corporation
Classification unit: Oil or gas production
Amount: $150,000
Date of penalty: June 13, 2008
Fatality. A worker was struck by two hung-up trees while performing the high-risk activity of falling trees up to 0.6 m (2 ft.) in diameter. The workers involved in the incident had received inadequate training. The prime contractor's failure to coordinate activities resulted in a lack of first-aid services and evacuation procedures that may have prevented the worker's death. As prime contractor, the firm failed to do everything within reason to coordinate activities and to establish and maintain a system or process to ensure compliance.
Company: Sealum Industries Ltd.
Classification unit: Engine or cylinder manufacture or rebuilding or automobile part manufacture
Amount: $9,973
Date of penalty: May 30, 2008
Failure to comply with previous orders regarding 1) overhead bridge cranes not having controls maintained in good condition, 2) regular inspection and maintenance of overhead bridge cranes, and 3) establishing an effective inspection and maintenance record for these cranes.
Company: Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited Partnership
Classification unit: Pulp and paper mill
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: April 28, 2008
The employer failed to ensure that workers were informed, instructed, trained, and supervised regarding lock out for a breaker leading to a cabinet where large cooling fans are housed. A worker attempting to repair a fan was severely burned in an explosion when he dropped his metal flashlight inside the energized cabinet.
Company: Educan Institutional Furniture Ltd.
Classification unit: Metal bed, furniture, or ladder manufacture
Amount: $4,714
Date of penalty: April 24, 2008
Continued non-compliance with orders to initiate and maintain an informal health and safety program.
Company: Allied Salvage & Metals (1985) Ltd.
Classification unit: Metal recycling
Amount: $19,558
Date of penalty: April 15, 2008
Failure to ensure the health and safety of all workers at a workplace, and repeated failure to ensure that a forklift had been maintained to meet the minimum maintenance and operating requirements. The forklift had an ineffective hand brake, defective seatbelt, and lack of mirrors. A worker sustained injuries when the parked forklift rolled backwards and pinned him against another vehicle.
Company: Luxury Smokers Ltd., 145 6660 Graybar Road, Richmond
Classification unit: Fish processing, fish reduction, or fish canning
Amount: $8,318
Date of penalty: April 4, 2008
Serious injury. Failure to adequately safeguard a fish slicer in which a worker could reach the hazardous point of operation. Failure to ensure that the energy source of a fish slicer was isolated and effectively controlled (locked out) before work was carried out below the blade area in a location that could, and did, cause injury. Failure to provide adequate information, instruction, and training with regard to lockout, which resulted in a serious injury to a worker.
Company: West Chilcotin Forest Products Ltd., Hwy 20, west of Nimpo Lake, Anahim Lake
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $48,465
Date of penalty: April 2, 2008
Serious injury. The firm failed to provide its workers with the necessary information, instruction, training, and supervision surrounding lockout procedures. These violations resulted in an industrial accident that caused significant traumatic injuries.
Company: Goldwood Industries Ltd., Richmond
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $45,727
Date of penalty: January 4, 2008
Multiple violations. The employer failed to use personal fall arrest equipment while working from a self-propelled, elevating work platform. The worksite presented a fall hazard of about 9 m (30 ft.). The employer also failed to provide workers with adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision, and failed to ensure a self-propelled, elevating work platform (boom lift) was inspected as required.
Company: Coral Sea Garments Manufacturing Ltd., 130 W. 5th Avenue, Vancouver
Classification unit: Clothing, clothing accessory, or other cloth product manufacture
Amount: $10,689
Date of penalty: November 30, 2007
Repeat violations for a failure to include a statement of aims and responsibilities in the occupational health and safety program, failure to maintain hoist inspection and maintenance records, and failure to safeguard a hazardous point of operation on a steam press. Additional violations related to failing, after being made aware of the requirements, to review the first aid assessment, maintain first aid records, and ensure a worker used a seat belt when operating a forklift.
Company: Coral Sea Garments Manufacturing Ltd., 130 W. 5th Avenue, Vancouver
Classification unit: Clothing, clothing accessory, or other cloth product manufacture
Amount: $59,848
Date of penalty: November 30, 2007
The employer did not equip the dumb waiter with a slack rope switch to ensure
it was safe to use and failed to ensure the worker was not exposed to an undue risk. The employer did not provide adequate supervision necessary to ensure the health and safety of workers operating the dumb waiter.
Company: L & M Lumber Ltd.
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $68,464
Date of penalty: November 20, 2007
A worker sustained serious crushing injuries to his feet as a result of a lockout violation at the employer's lumber mill. When lumber debris built up underneath the conveyor belt, the standard practice was to send a few workers into the conveyor to walk on top of the belt. This practice had been occurring for about 30 years (with management's knowledge). The supervisor was operating the on/off button when the accident occurred.
Company: Porcupine Wood Products Ltd.
Classification unit: Planing mill
Amount: $42,677
Date of penalty: November 16, 2007
Guards for machinery were not in place at this re-manufacturing plant and planer. The mill manager was observed in a lockout violation. Workers were not wearing the required safety headgear. Continued failure to develop and implement an Occupational Health and Safety program, to comply with lockout regulations, and to provide adequate instruction, training, and supervision to workers.
Company: Neucel Specialty Cellulose Ltd., Finishing room rewinder, 300 Marine Drive, Port Alice
Classification unit: Chemical pulp and paper mill
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: November 7, 2007
Employer failed to ensure that an unexpected release of an energy source was
isolated and effectively controlled. A millwright received serious crush injuries when he became caught between two components of a pulp roll rewinder while carrying out maintenance work.
Company: Petro-Canada 177293 Canada Ltd. 676071 Alberta Ltd., DBA Petro Canada Oil & Gas, West Beg Facility, A-44-F Jedney Field, north of Fort St. John
Classification unit: Oil or gas production
Amount: $68,337
Date of penalty: November 5, 2007
As prime contractor of a multiple-employer worksite, the firm failed to meet
its statutory obligations to do everything reasonably practicable to establish and maintain a system that would ensure compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Company: CCI Industries Ltd., DBA Coast Masonry Supplies, Gate 2, south foot of Nelson Road, Richmond
Classification unit: Concrete product manufacture
Amount: $55,261
Date of penalty: November 2, 2007
Failure to ensure that equipment was locked out prior to performing maintenance work. Failure to provide adequate information, instruction, and training with regard to lockout, which resulted in a potential for serious injury to a worker.
Company: Blue Water Systems Ltd., 9925 River Road, Delta
Classification unit: Heavy equipment, machinery, or parts manufacture
or installation (greater than 500 lbs weight)
Amount: $15,117
Date of penalty: October 31, 2007
Failure to provide a crane operator with adequate information, instruction,
training, and supervision, resulting in a serious injury to a worker. Failure
to ensure mobile cranes are inspected as required and certified as safe for
use.
Company: Hyland Precast Inc., Cumberland
Classification unit: Ready mix concrete manufacture and delivery
Amount: $3,575
Date of penalty: October 25, 2007
A worker was smoking inside an office building, exposing other workers to second-hand smoke. The employer showed continued non-compliance relating to environmental tobacco smoke.
Company: Natural Glacial Waters Inc., Fanny Bay
Classification unit: Non-alcoholic beverage manufacture or water bottling
Amount: $19,002
Date of penalty: October 24, 2007
Repeated non-compliance with respect to initiating and maintaining an effective health and safety program, including the development of a joint occupational health and safety committee expected to meet on a monthly basis.
Company: Ostrov Doors Ltd., 1051 Millcarch Street, Richmond
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $8,036
Date of penalty: October 22, 2007
A worker was injured by a saw blade while hand-feeding wood through a table
saw. The table saw was not equipped with a blade guard, kickback fingers, or
a splitter/spreader. The worker was not using a push stick and had not been
trained to do so. He sustained serious injuries to his hand, which required
partial amputation of three fingers and a thumb.
Company: Dove Creek Timber Corp., 3837 Piercy Road, Courtenay
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $28,381
Date of penalty: October 12, 2007
Lockout violation resulting in serious injuries to a worker. Lack of training and orientation of a worker with regards to lockout procedures.
Company: Dove Creek Timber Corp., 3837 Piercy Road, Courtenay
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $7,541
Date of penalty: October 12, 2007
Repeat failures to provide workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety.
Company: West Coast Granite Manufacturing Inc., River Road, Delta
Classification unit: Stone or marble cutting, dressing, shaping, or lettering, or stone or marble product manufacture
Amount: $24,264
Date of penalty: October 10, 2007
Failure to ensure a piece of equipment was locked out prior to performing maintenance work, and failure to provide workers with adequate information, instruction, and training with regard to lockout.
Company: Silvermere Forest Products Inc., 9620 287 Street, Maple Ridge
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $6,913
Date of penalty: October 1, 2007
Continued non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation regarding having no evacuation/rescue plan in place for workers required to work on or over water; no adequate first aid facilities, equipment, and certified first aid attendant; no written procedures for providing first aid; and no WHMIS program in place; and with the Workers Compensation Act for ensuring a Joint Health and Safety Committee.
Company: Oceanic Stones Ltd., #108 - 13055 84 Avenue, Surrey
Classification unit: Stone or marble cutting, dressing, shaping, or lettering, or stone or marble product manufacture
Amount: $23,612
Date of penalty: September 25, 2007
Repeat failure to ensure the safe storage of granite slabs and the use of eye
protection while grinding and cutting granite slabs. The employer also repeatedly failed to maintain a health and safety program and to provide adequate instruction, training, and supervision to workers.
Company: Wynndel Box & Lumber Company Ltd., PO Box 40, Wynndel
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $46,996
Date of penalty: September 5, 2007
Employer acted in a manner that impeded or dissuaded workers from reporting
injuries and filing claims with WorkSafeBC.
Company: Weyerhaeuser Company Limited, DBA BC Coastal Division, New Westminster Sawmill, 400 Jardine North Foot, New Westminster
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $297,000
Date of penalty: August 24, 2007
Failure to ensure the health and safety of a worker by not adequately addressing a well-known hazard, resulting in a worker fatality.
Company: Apache Canada Ltd., Apache Ladyfern, A-97-H/94-H-1, North of Fort St. John
Classification unit: Oil or gas production
Amount: $4,829
Date of penalty: August 8, 2007
Repeat violation of failing to coordinate the activities of workers.
Company: Nexbuild Construction Corporation, Residential construction
site, 809 Nicolani Drive, Kamloops
Classification unit: Modular or prefabricated building manufacture
Amount: $13,422
Date of penalty: August 3, 2007
Repeat violation of fall protection regulation, placing worker at high risk
of serious injury or death.
Company: 12300 Bridgeport Holdings Ltd., 12300 Bridgeport Road, Richmond
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $4,876
Date of penalty: July 31, 2007
Serious injury. A worker sustained an amputation injury to his left index finger when his left hand contacted the unguarded blade of a sliding panel table saw. Failure to ensure that the Delta RT31 sliding panel table saw was equipped with the guard over the blade.
Company: Lilydale Inc., Southwest Farms Ltd., 2623 216 Street, Langley
Classification unit: Poultry processing
Amount: $15,000
Date of penalty: July 31, 2007
Failure to notify WorkSafeBC immediately of an incident, as well as disturbing the scene of an incident that resulted in the serious injury and subsequent death of a worker.
Company: Heron Construction & Millwork Limited, 150 - 2540 Simpson Road, Richmond
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $4,377
Date of penalty: July 23, 2007
Repeat failure to ensure that a first-aid attendant is present on site as required.
Company: Do Mill Construction Ltd., Highway 27, approx. 3 miles south of Fort St. James
Company: Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Fort St. John
Classification unit: Oil or gas production
Amount: $70,965
Date of penalty: July 4, 2007
Serious injury. Repeated violations of workplace health and safety coordination activities, including the failure to make appropriate written instructions available to workers, identify activities or circumstances that may cause significant risk of injury, and implement safe work procedures arising from risk analyses.
Classification unit: Heavy equipment, machinery, or parts manufacture
or installation (greater than 500 lbs weight)
Amount: $11,333
Date of penalty: July 3, 2007
High-risk violation with the potential for serious injury or death. One of the firm's workers was observed working at 7.5 m (25 ft.) above grade on a narrow sill frame that was under construction. The worker was not wearing fall protection.
Company: Park Avenue Furniture (BC) Corp., 1525 Derwent Way, Delta
Classification unit: Wooden furniture manufacture
Amount: $71,651
Date of penalty: June 23, 2007
Serious injury. A worker's arm was partially amputated when she contacted an unguarded saw blade. The firm failed to guard the equipment, provide adequate instruction and training regarding lockout procedures, and implement a health and safety program.
Company: McBride Forest Industries Ltd. (Woodlands Division), Plantway Road, McBride
Classification unit: Veneer or plywood manufacture
Amount: $14,269
Date of penalty: June 22, 2007
Failure to ensure the health and safety of workers through provision of adequate information, instruction, training, and supervision with respect to the safe operation of mobile equipment.
Company: 0583690 BC Ltd., Prince George
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $2,125
Date of penalty: June 19, 2007
Serious injury. A worker lost his leg when he climbed into equipment housing a saw. The equipment was turned off, but the blades had not come to rest. Failure to lock out equipment during maintenance.
Company: T.R.C. Cedar Limited
Classification unit: Wooden post or pole manufacture
Amount: $56,274
Date of penalty: June 19, 2007
Serious injury. A worker lost his arm after catching it in an edger saw while he was attempting to clean debris from the work area. Failure to effectively lock out equipment during maintenance.
Company: EnCana Corporation, Dawson Creek
Classification unit: Oil or gas production
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: June 18, 2007
Fatality. A young and inexperienced worker was killed after being struck by highly pressurized wellbore gas following the completion of pressure testing of well control components. The gas had become trapped inside the well service equipment because of the unsafe placement of a tubing hanger used during the pressure testing process. When the equipment failed, the gas exploded from the equipment and struck the worker. The fatal force of the explosion was estimated to be the equivalent of two sticks of dynamite.
The employer, EnCana, was the prime contractor at the well site and failed in its duties to coordinate health and safety procedures. It also failed as an employer to ensure the health and safety of workers at a workplace where its work was being carried out. The young worker was an employee of a firm providing the specialized well service of snubbing. EnCana hired the snubbing firm without following its own process for hiring contractors. Its well site supervisors relied on their past knowledge of a worker who was now a supervisor with the snubbing firm. The snubbing firm had been in operation for only about two months before the incident, and its principals had no prior experience in snubbing. The firm had hired workers from an established snubbing firm but did not itself provide training or safe work procedures to these workers and had not developed safe work procedures for snubbing. The snubbing firm did not conduct a risk assessment or develop safe work procedures for the work being conducted at the time of the incident, despite the requirements of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Before the incident, EnCana's well site supervisor and the snubbing firm's supervisor both completed and signed a safe work permit declaring a risk assessment had been conducted and written procedures had been reviewed and were available on site when, in fact, no such measures were in place or carried out.
Company: Falcon Manufacturing Ltd., DBA Falcon Ladder & Scaffolding, 222 Adams Road, Kelowna
Classification unit: Metal bed, furniture, or ladder manufacture
Amount: $38,395
Date of penalty: April 19, 2007
This penalty relates to three separate issues: lack of guarding on a press resulting in crush injuries to a young worker's hand, lack of lockout procedures, and general failure to supervise and inspect the workplace to prevent the development of unsafe conditions.
Company: West Fraser Mills Ltd., Fraser Lake Sawmills, Fraser Lake
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: March 22, 2007
Fatal accident where a worker was killed when a large oil bin fell on him. The worker was attempting to raise the bin in an unsafe manner, which was not scrutinized by supervisors. The employer had failed to provide workers with the information, instruction, training, and supervision necessary to ensure their health and safety.
Company: West Fraser Mills Ltd., Plywood Division, 4200 Mackenzie Avenue, Williams Lake
Classification unit: Veneer or plywood manufacture
Amount: $63,750
Date of penalty: March 14, 2007
Fatal accident wherein a worker was crushed by a loader carrying peeler logs at a plywood manufacturing facility. The worker was walking in an area in which two loaders operated at high speed. The employer had failed to identify workplace hazards and implement safeguards.
Company: Chalet Cabinets Inc., 3171 Thunderbird Crescent, Burnaby
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $5,638
Date of penalty: December 14, 2006
Repeat failure to comply with requirements for providing adequate first aid services and supplies, and other health and safety program issues.
Company: Newalta Corporation, 6288 249 Road, Baldonnel
Classification unit: Oil refining or recycling
Amount: $22,016
Date of penalty: November 21, 2006
Employer failed to develop and implement adequate confined-space procedures, potentially exposing workers to several conditions (lack of oxygen, toxic gases such as benzene, fire/explosion hazard) that were immediately dangerous to life and health.
Company: Target Products Ltd., 7550 Conrad Street, Burnaby
Classification unit: Cement manufacture
Amount: $93,351
Date of penalty: November 6, 2006
Failure to ensure the health and safety of a worker. Failure to ensure power sources to the cement mixer drum and the cement mixer paddles were locked out before entering the mixer drum. Failure to ensure that a confined-space entry program was implemented. Failure to ensure that a worker was provided with adequate training, instructions, and supervision to ensure his/her safety.
Company: McDonald Ranch & Lumber Ltd., Highway 93 South, Roosville
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $6,770
Date of penalty: August 22, 2006
Employer continually failed to implement an occupational health and safety program in its sawmill.
Company: Park Avenue Furniture (BC) Corporation, 1525 Derwent Way, Delta
Classification unit: Wooden furniture manufacture
Amount: $71,651
Date of penalty: June 23, 2006
A worker's arm was partially amputated when she contacted an unguarded saw blade. The employer failed to guard the equipment, to provide adequate instruction and training regarding lockout procedures, and to implement a health and safety program.
Company: A & P Cabinets (2000) Ltd., 8770 Ash Street, Vancouver
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $18,627
Date of penalty: May 17, 2006
Repeat non-compliance with the requirements to: (1) train forklift operators; (2) ensure material safety data sheets (MSDSs) are available on-site for all WHMIS-controlled products used or stored; (3) develop and implement written lockout procedures; (4) develop and implement a written health and safety program; (5) establish a joint health and safety committee; (6) fit-test workers for cartridge respirators; and (7) label containers filled with WHMIS-controlled products.
Company: Babine Forest Products Limited, Tibbets Road, Highway 16, 20 km east of Burns Lake
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $32,450
Date of penalty: May 2, 2006
Failure to construct and maintain owner's land and premises, being used as a workplace, in a manner that ensures the health and safety of persons at or near the workplace.
Company: Chasyn Canadian Forest Products Ltd., 23347 McKay Avenue, Maple Ridge
Classification unit: Wooden component manufacture
Amount: $3,250
Date of penalty: March 3, 2006
In the course of an accident investigation, a WorkSafeBC officer ordered the firm to cease operation of certain equipment until measures were taken to prevent a similar accident. The officer returned to the site a few days later and found the firm using the equipment in direct violation of her order.
Company: Universal Granite Ltd., Unit 7 - 8980 Fraserwood Court, Burnaby
Classification unit: Stone or marble cutting, dressing, shaping, or lettering, or stone or marble product manufacture
Amount: $2,500
Date of penalty: February 24, 2006
The firm's operations involve the cutting, grinding, and polishing of stone, including granite. Over a six-month time period, the firm was inspected on several occasions. Several orders were issued for repeat and continued non-compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation. The firm's non-compliance was wilful or with reckless disregard and resulted in worker exposure to hazardous substances such as silica, which presents a high risk of serious illness, injury, or death.
Company: Derek Brent Watson & William Watson, DBA B&D Enterprises, 1755 Highway 33, Rock Creek
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $17,950
Date of penalty: February 23, 2006
A young worker had part of his hand amputated while using a chop saw. The saw was not guarded as required by the regulations. The total penalty amount is a combination of an administrative penalty and a claim levy (section 73 of the Workers Compensation Act) imposed because the injury was substantially due to the employer's failure to comply with the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Company: M3 Steel (Kamloops) Ltd., Columbia Street, Kamloops
Classification unit: Structural metal product fabrication
Amount: $8,797
Date of penalty: February 13, 2006
Failure to supervise workers to ensure fall protection equipment is used when required.
Company: Jemico Enterprises Ltd., 3375 Smiley Road, Chemainus
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $21,683
Date of penalty: January 25, 2006
A worker fell from the top of a wood fibre (chip) transport truck and died. The top of the truck was approximately 4 m (13 ft.) from the ground. There was no fall protection equipment available. The firm did not provide adequate training in fall protection. A supervisor was aware that workers were on top of the chip truck but did not take any corrective action.
Company: Snowcap Lumber Ltd., 31281 Wheel Avenue, Abbotsford
Classification unit: Veneer or plywood manufacture
Amount: $7,985
Date of penalty: January 18, 2006
Over a three-year period, the firm failed to develop and maintain WHMIS, hearing conservation, and musculoskeletal injury prevention programs.
Company: P T I Punch Tools Inc., #11 - 211 Schoolhouse Street, Coquitlam
Classification unit: Metal product manufacture (not elsewhere specified)
Amount: $21,640
Date of penalty: December 22, 2005
Repeat failure to provide adequate point-of-operation safeguarding and repeat failure to provide instruction, training, and supervision to workers in the safe operation of a mechanical press, which resulted in significant hand injuries.
Company: Kootenay Innovative Wood Ltd., South Slocan
Classification unit: Wooden component manufacture
Amount: $17,571
Date of penalty: November 25, 2005
The employer failed to comply with WorkSafeBC's Occupational Health and Safety Regulation requirements and failed to adequately instruct, train, and supervise a worker regarding lockout requirements.
Company: Best Gourmet Coffee Wholesales Ltd., Maple Meadows Industrial Park, 20091 113B Avenue, Maple Ridge
Classification unit: Coffee, tea, herb, or spice packaging or manufacture
Amount: $3,806
Date of penalty: November 17, 2005
The employer repeatedly failed to stack material in a stable and secure manner, despite repeated orders to do so.
Company: Kelfor Industries Ltd., 18946 98 Avenue, Surrey
Classification unit: Custom wood kiln
Amount: $28,311
Date of penalty: November 16, 2005
Failure to follow lockout procedures while doing maintenance on energized equipment and failure to adequately instruct workers in lockout procedures.
Company: 637312 BC LTD., DBA Range Truss, 132 Industrial Road #1, Invermere
Classification unit: Wooden truss manufacture
Amount: $49,773
Date of penalty: November 14, 2005
Serious injury to a young worker. Numerous violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
and the Workers Compensation Act, including equipment that had not been safeguarded and
an emergency stop bar that had been intentionally rendered ineffective. Violations
committed wilfully or with reckless disregard. In addition to an administrative
penalty, a claim cost levy was imposed pursuant to section 73 of the Act.
Company: Superior Venetian Blind Services (1991) Ltd., DBA The Venetian Blind Service Centre, 331 West 7 Avenue, Vancouver
Classification unit: Blind or drapery track manufacture
Amount: $15,742
Date of penalty: November 8, 2005
Repeat violations for failure to initiate and maintain an informal health and safety program based on regular monthly meetings, and failure to ensure that workers receive adequate instruction in the use, limitations, and maintenance of required respiratory protection.
Company: Teck Cominco Metals Ltd., Trail Operation,
Lead Smelter, South Trail
Classification unit: Teck Cominco Metals Ltd.
Amount: $75,000
Date of penalty: October 28, 2005
Following an explosion, workers were required to evacuate through a dangerous
area. An investigation of the incident revealed that the need for a secondary
emergency exit had been raised several months before the explosion. The employer
had taken some preliminary steps to correct the identified unsafe conditions,
but never completed the project.
Company: Icicle Seafoods (BC) Inc., 6001 60 Avenue, Delta
Classification unit: Fish processing or fish reduction
Amount: $43,903
Date of penalty: October 28, 2005
A forklift operator from a labour supply firm was loading materials for the firm. The lighting levels on the ramp were only about 10 percent of the level required by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and the operator was not wearing a seat belt. The forklift backed partially on to a ledge and tipped over, killing the worker instantly. The firm received a penalty for failing to have adequate workplace lighting, to have and use required lights on mobile equipment, and, as a prime contractor, to ensure compliance with the Workers Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation.
Company: De Stijl Furniture Ltd., 110
-- 5940 No. 2 Road, Richmond
Classification unit: Wooden furniture manufacture
Amount: $7,146
Date of penalty: September 28, 2005
The firm was in repeat non-compliance with the requirement to ensure that a
first aid attendant is present on-site.
Company: C & C Wood Products Ltd., 1751 Quesnel-Hixon Road, Quesnel
Classification unit: Sawmill
Amount: $89,529
Date of penalty: August 18, 2004
There were three separate incidents in 2002 where workers were injured, as well as one incident involving a non-injury. Each incident involved violations of section 115(2)(e) of the Workers Compensation Act. Two also related to violations of the regulations related to guarding. The firm had a significant record of previous violations and, in particular, previous guarding violations prior to the first accident.
Company: Trident Millwork & Display Industries
Ltd., 11140 River Road, Richmond
Classification unit: Woodworking or carpentry shop
Amount: $47,229
Date of penalty: August 5, 2004
Continued non-compliance --- wilful or with reckless disregard: Failure to
safeguard the hazardous points of operation for table saws. Failure to conduct
regular inspections that would prevent the development of unsafe working conditions.
On penalty review at Review Division, the penalty amount was increased based
upon weighing the variation of factors found in Policy D12-196-6 and the fact
that the firm continued to be in non-compliance at the time of hearing.
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