Forestry firm fined $100,000 after conveyor accident

NEWS RELEASE

************************** Columbia Forest Products Ltd. fined $100,000 for health and safety violation

THUNDER BAY, ON, Dec. 9 - Columbia Forest Products Ltd., a Portland, Oregon- based manufacturer of hardwood plywood and hardwood veneer, with a mill that produces hardwood plywood in the Town of Nipigon, Ont., was fined $100,000 today for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act that resulted in serious arm and hand injuries to an employee. On August 19, 2004, a worker was using an air hose to blow away wood chips from a "tail pulley" (a rotating, drum-shaped roller) on a conveyor when the hose became entangled with a partially-torn "splice" (a point of connection between two ends of the conveyor belt) and began to draw the hose into the pulley.

When the worker attempted to free the hose, the worker's hand and forearm became caught and were pulled into and around the tail pulley.

The worker received multiple fractures and tendon damage.

The incident occurred at the company's plant in Nipigon, about 129 kilometres (80 miles) northeast of Thunder Bay. A Ministry of Labour investigation found the conveyor was running at the time of the incident and the tail pulley was not equipped with a guarding device.

The conveyor was used to move wood chip waste to a front-end loader for transport to another company facility for use in a manufacturing process. Columbia Forest Products Ltd. pleaded guilty, as an employer, to failing to ensure the area around the pulley was guarded, as required by Section 25 of the Regulations for Industrial Establishments.

This was contrary to Section 25(1)(c) of the act. The fines were imposed by Justice of the Peace Bruce Leaman of the Ontario Court of Justice in Thunder Bay.

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.

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