3,700 pound motor fell on worker causing critical injury
Bernt Gilbertson Enterprise Limited, operating as Gilbertson Enterprises, has been fined $60,000 after a worker suffered critical injuries in a workplace incident. The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD) investigated the incident and found that the company failed to take necessary precautions for the worker's protection.
The incident happened in May 2021 at a quarry known as Medhurst Creek number 1, also referred to as MTO Fungus Creek Pit, approximately 48 km north of Wawa. Two workers were performing maintenance on a portable cone crusher when the accident took place. The task involved replacing drive belts on the motor, which weighed around 3,700 pounds.
During the maintenance work, the motor was connected to a loader using two chain slings and hooks but remained attached to a pivoting base by two of its four mounting bolts. The loader was used to partially suspend the motor for better access to the drive belts. While a worker was using a bottle jack to perform final adjustments, one of the chain slings supporting the motor broke, causing it to fall and resulting in a critical injury to the worker.
Upon investigation, MLTSD found the chain slings used to elevate the motor were not labeled with the maximum load rating capacity or working load limit. Additionally, a ministry engineer determined the rigging was inappropriate for lifting and that the tension in the failed chain may have exceeded the weight of the load and the strength of the chain under the circumstances.
In light of these findings, the company was found to have failed to take reasonable precautions to ensure the safety of its workers. According to section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Company was obliged to ensure that the chain slings used to elevate the motor on the portable cone crusher were labeled with the maximum load rating capacity or working load limit.
"Employers have a responsibility to provide a safe working environment and take necessary precautions to prevent injuries. This conviction and fine send a strong message that workplace safety must be prioritized," reads and MLTSD statement.
As a result of the guilty plea entered, the company was fined $60,000 and ordered to pay a 25 percent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge will be credited to a special provincial government fund established to assist victims of crime.
MLTSD urges employers to prioritize workplace safety by ensuring that proper safety measures are in place and that all equipment and rigging used in lifting operations are labeled with the appropriate load capacities.
