By Tyler Sutherland
Two Manitoba workplaces have been prosecuted and fined for incidents dating back nearly five years.
A worker at Carte International Inc. suffered injuries on December 9, 2011 to two fingers on his right hand. The province says the worker was operating a coil-winding machine when his fingers came in contact with a pinch point. On April 7, 2015, the employer pleaded guilty under section 4(1)(a) of the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act to the charge of allowing a worker to operate a foil/wire winding machine without sufficient safeguards in place to protect workers from contact with moving parts. The company was ordered to pay $25,050 in fines and surcharges.
Brandon-based Behlen Industries Inc. has also been fined $43,800 for an incident on December 19, 2011. The province says maintenance workers were using compressed air to remove dust buildup on electrical equipment that was located near asbestos-containing spray foam insulation. During this process, the spray foam insulation was displaced and the workers were exposed to the asbestos-containing material. The employer pleaded guilty on February 11, 2015.
Information on the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act is available on the province’s website.
