Guarding Violation Results in Hand Injury & $55,000 Fine

A worker at a paper mill was waiting for a finished roll of paper to be ejected from the winder onto a transfer table. One of his hands was resting on top of a gate bracket, when the transfer table raised automatically, fracturing his hand. An MOL investigation found three areas where there was access to a pinch point or moving parts around the winder that were unguarded. The manufacturer’s manual for the winder and an engineer’s assessment both recommended guarding around this machine by use of a perimeter fence. The mill pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the transfer table locking pin bracket was equipped and protected by a guard or other device to prevent access to the pinch point and was fined $55,000 [Resolute FP Canada, Govt. News Release, May 26, 2016].