Metal Recycler Fined $75,000 for Worker’s Burns

At a metal recycler’s facility, a worker was using a torch to cut a railcar coupling, which contained a cylinder of compressed hydraulic fluids. The torch pierced the cylinder, allowing the hydraulic fluids to escape and ignite. The worker suffered second and third degree burns. The MOL found that the recycler’s procedures to identify hazardous materials failed to ensure that objects containing compressed hydraulic fluids weren’t cut using torches. It pleaded guilty and was fined $75,000 [Triple M Metal Corp., Govt. News Release, April 3, 2012].