Ontario worker severely injured in workplace accident

One worker in Ontario suffered a severe injury at a sawmill in the city of Dryden, according to a report.

The incident happened at Manitou Forest Products on May 28.

“It was reported that a worker was injured while using machinery,” said the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, which received the report on May 28, according to the Hamilton Spectator.

The ministry has assigned a workplace inspector to the case, and “the ministry’s investigation is ongoing,” according to the report.

The ministry will not provide any more information while the investigation is ongoing, according to the report.

To ensure workers’ safety, employers must assess each piece of powered equipment using the following method, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS):

1. Understand how the machine is designed.
2. Understand how to use the machine safely.
3. Identify all tasks performed by and associated with the machine:
   1. What hazards may occur from use and misuse of the machine?
   2. What moving parts and corresponding safeguards are currently in place?
4. Identify who will be using the machine, and how often the machine will be used.
5. Determine what materials are used with the machine (e.g., sheet metal, wood, metalworking fluid, oil, etc.).
6. Estimate the risk of each hazard by considering the:
   1. Severity of possible injuries and or incidents, and
   2. Probability or likelihood of occurrence.
7. Eliminate the hazard(s) where possible.
8. Use protective measures to control the risk of each hazard including considering:
   1. the design, 
   2. safeguarding and protective devices,
   3. administrative controls, or
   4. other measures.
9. Reassess to estimate the new risk level.
10. Repeat the process if the risk level has not been eliminated or effectively controlled.