Worker injured by table saw while cutting cabinet drawer pieces to proper size
Ontario employer BND Woodworking Inc. was fined $50,000 after one of its workers sustained critical injuries while working using a table saw.
Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice, Guelph, the employer was also tasked to pay a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.
BND Woodworking Inc. manufactures kitchen and bathroom cabinetry. One of the tools used in their workshop is a general tilting arbor saw. It has protective coverings on both sides of the blade to prevent worker access to the moving blades.
“The absence of both guards created a dangerous risk,” said the Ontario government.
The incident happened at 1-66 Arrow Rd., Guelph on March 2, 2023. On that day, a worker was cutting cabinet drawer pieces to proper size using the table saw.
After they guided material through the saw blade with one hand, they used the other hand to retrieve it. As they were doing this, their hand was injured by the blade.
In its investigation, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development found that the employer had been waiting since June 2022 for replacement parts for the saw cover, but had no documentation that the parts were ever ordered. Meanwhile, the operation manual for the saw requires blade guards to be in place and in working order.
“BND Woodworking Inc. failed to ensure the general tilting arbor saw was maintained in good condition at a workplace, contrary to section 25(1)(b) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act,” said the Ontario government.
