Vertis Communications, in Stevensville. Bullet News photo by John Robbins.
Bullet News
FORT ERIE – A Stevensville printing company has been fined $60,000 for a health and safety violation that left a young worker injured.
American Color Graphics Inc., which operates as Vertis Communications, pleaded guilty in St. Catharines court on June 8 to a violation under Ontario Regulation 851, Section 25 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act, in relation to an incident that happened on Aug. 24, 2010.
According to Ministry of Labour investigators, one of the machines at the Eagle Street plant experienced a jam that day. Workers shut down the press and engaged a “safe button” to prevent the machine from restarting as they looked for the jam.
A summer student discovered a jam in the rear of the press and started to remove it, out of sight of the other workers.
Meanwhile the rest of the crew found a jam in the front of the machine.
Not knowing that the student was on the other side of the press attempting to clear another jam, the crew restarted the machine so they could “manually jog” the paper jam at the front.
When the press was restarted, the young worker’s hand was drawn between two rollers at the rear of the press. The young worker suffered a hand injury.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the area of the press where the worker’s hand was drawn in was protected by a guard, but it was inadequate to prevent injury.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Kerry Boon.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.
