A Surrey, B.C., door manufacturer has been fined more than $85,000 after a worker caught their hand in a moulding machine’s “spinning cutterheads” leading to “serious injuries,” said WorkSafeBC in a summary of the penalty.
The incident occurred when a worker with Trimlite MFG Inc. tried to clear jammed wood shavings from the machine.
“WorkSafeBC determined that the machine had not been adequately locked out or guarded at the time of the incident,” wrote the health and safety agency in a summary of its findings.
The penalty was handed out in July 2023 but was released last week. WorkSafeBC found the company failed to ensure the device was locked in the safe position.
“The firm failed to ensure its machinery was fitted with adequate safeguards to ensure workers could not access hazardous points of operation, a repeated violation,” said the agency.
“These were both high-risk violations.”
Jason Cryderman, Trimlite's vice-president and general manager, said the company makes “every effort to ensure the safest possible work environment” across its North American operations.
“We review these incidences diligently to ensure that our equipment safeguards, training programs and [operational health and safety] guidelines are as complete and thorough as they can possibly be,” he said in an email.
The penalty is among dozens covering a six-month period that were released by WorkSafeBC last week.
