Owen Sound, Ont. - Clarksburg-based Golden Town Apple Products was fined $75,000 on March 12 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) after a worker was injured.
On May 9, 2008, a worker at the company's plant was flushing a production line with a sodium hydroxide solution. The worker carried a pail of the solution toward a tank to be cleaned. While lifting the pail to dump the solution into the tank, the worker's hand slipped, the pail swung forward and the solution splashed into the worker's eyes, causing permanent eye damage.
Golden Town Apple Products pleaded guilty under the OHSA of failing, as an employer, to ensure that the pail of sodium hydroxide solution was lifted, carried or moved in a way and with safeguards to protect the worker's safety.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Robert Gay. 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.
