Guarding Violation Results in $65,000 Fine

A worker was using a machine that winds paper onto large rolls in the reel section of a production line. While using an air hose to clean debris from the machine, he got closer than normal to its rotating core drive shaft. The air hose nozzle got entangled on the rotating shaft, pulling the worker against the end of the paper roll as the roll continued to turn. He suffered fractured bones and a soft tissue injury. An MOL investigation found that the employer had failed to ensure that the rotating core shaft at the reel section of the machine was shielded by a guard or other device. The employer pleaded guilty to a guarding violation and was fined $65,000 [Interlake Acquisition Corporation Ltd., Govt. News Release, Oct. 17, 2014].