Dofasco fined $290K for 2 separate workplace incidents

ArcelorMittal Dofascohas been fined $290,000 after pleading guilty totwo separate workplace incidents.

The first incident at the Hamiltonsteelmaker happened on May 23, 2018 and involved carbon monoxide exposure. The second took place on Dec. 6, 2018 when a worker's hand was caught in the "pinch point" of a machine, according to a media release from theMinistry of Labour.

Two workers were sweeping a platform on the outside of blast furnace in May when the ministry says a valve malfunctioned, causing gases and dust to "engulf the workers."

Both workers were wearing carbon monoxide detectors which started to sound alarms, according to the release. They were not wearing self-contained breathing apparatuses at the time, but put them on later.

The ministry says the workers went to Dofasco's medical facility where they were put on oxygen therapy for carbon monoxide exposure. They were later treated athospital.

A ministry hygienist determined the carbon monoxide concentrations inhaled by thetwo workers was "in therange of 1,137 to 6,237 ppm - significantly higher than the limit of 125 ppm under the regulation."

Worker's hand pulled into rollers

Then, in December, a worker on the coil prep line who was feeding flat stock material into a pair of rollers was injured.

"The worker used a control switch with one hand while trying to guide the steel between the two rollers with the other hand," the ministry explained. The release addsthe worker suffered "critical injuries" after accidentally moving the switch in reverse causing their hand to be pulled betweenthe rollers.

Investigators determined that while there were perimeter gates, access panels and guardrails on the north side of the roller there was only an "inadequate" shieldon the south side, where the worker was standing when they were injured.

Dofascowas convictedin provincial offences court in Hamilton on Jan. 16 and was fined $170,000 for the May incident and another $120,000 for what happened in December.

The ministry says the court also imposed a 25 per cent victim surcharge, which will go to a provincial fund to assist victims.

CBC is seeking comment from Dofasco.