Blenheim, ON – London Agricultural Commodities Inc., a London grain company, was fined $55,000 yesterday for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.
On October 8, 2011, a worker at the company’s Thamesville grain elevator operation was moving a railcar from one track to another using a specialized railroad vehicle. The worker got out of the vehicle, walked past it to activate a rail switch, and noticed that the vehicle was moving towards the switch. When the worker stepped onto the track to retrieve lumber for chocking the vehicle’s wheels, the worker’s foot got caught between the rail and a wheel. The worker’s foot was crushed.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the worker was never trained on any policies about stepping on tracks or between railcars and other vehicles.
London Agricultural Commodities Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to provide adequate information, instruction and supervision on the safe operation of the railcar moving vehicle.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Helen Gale. In addition to the fine, 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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