Flange fell on worker during shutdown process
CS Wind Canada has been fined $60,000 by the Ontario Ministry of Labour for a worker’s permanent injury. A 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act was also imposed.
A worker signed on to participate in a special project at the company’s workplace in Windsor, Ont., as part of the facility's shutdown process. The task consisted of disassembling flanges — that is, wind tower sections formed of large metal rings — for the purpose of disposal as scrap metal.
On Oct. 30, 2017, the worker attended at the workplace to disassemble flanges. To do so, the worker placed one side of each flange on a stand and used an acetylene gas torch to make cuts at the raised area.
The worker began to work on a flange and made two cuts. On the third cut, the worker initially stood on the outside perimeter of the flange and subsequently stepped to the inside perimeter to continue. As the cut completed, the flange piece turned inward and fell on the worker.
As a result of the event, the worker suffered a severe injury resulting in a permanent injury.
The Ministry of Labour investigation determined that CS Wind had not provided workers with information and/or instruction with respect to a safe procedure for cutting wind tower sections, in violation of section 25(2)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
CS Wind was previously convicted under the OHSA in Windsor on Aug. 18, 2016 for failing to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker. In that incident, a worker suffered multiple injuries from the movement of components of a wind tower under construction. The company was fined $60,000 for that offence.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Labour
