Press Release
Ontario Power Generation Inc. pleaded guilty and was fined $100,000 yesterday for a violation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was injured.
On Jan. 15, 2008, two maintenance workers at the company’s Atikokan operating station were called to examine some malfunctioning equipment.
The equipment was locked in a chamber to protect workers from its electrically-energized, moving apparatus.
A lockout system required equipment to be electrically de-energized, grounded, and locked out before the chamber could open. But an equipment operator used a bypass key to circumvent the lockout system and open a hatch door while the equipment was still energized.
One of the workers then shone a flashlight into the open door, causing an arc flash of electricity.
The arc flash burned the worker’s hand, arm and chest.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found the key used to bypass the lockout system was available to workers.
Ontario Power Generation Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of preventing ready access to the means of circumventing the lockout system.
The fine was imposed by Justice Peter Bishop.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25 percent 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.
