Cook slips on mopped floor, arm goes into deep fryer

NEWS RELEASE

ONTARIO MINISTRY OF LABOUR

********************** Timmins restaurant fined $50,000 for health and safety violations

TIMMINS, ON. - 510487 Ontario Limited, a company operating as Casey's Restaurant in Timmins, was fined $50,000 on May 24, 2006 for two violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in serious burns to a young employee. On April 24, 2005, a worker slipped on a wet floor while walking past a deep fryer.

The worker's left arm went into hot oil in the deep fryer resulting in second and third degree burns to the hand, arm and back.

Just prior to the incident the worker had been mopping the floor of the kitchen area.

The worker stopped mopping the floor after receiving a food order.

At the time of the incident, the worker was walking through the kitchen to a cooler.

The incident occurred at Casey's Restaurant at 760 Algonquin Boulevard East in Timmins. Following a trial, 510487 Ontario Limited was convicted, as an employer, of: 1. Failing to ensure a floor used by the worker was kept clear of a hazard, as prescribed by Section 11 of the Regulations for Industrial Establishments. This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act; and 2. Failing to provide adequate information, instruction and supervision to the injured worker on working safely around the deep fryers Justice of the Peace Dolores Boyuk, of the Ontario Court of Justice in Timmins, fined the company $25,000 on each count.

In addition, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.

The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime. ***********************