CD manufacturer fined $55K for machine-related injury

Cinram International Inc., an international maker of CDs and DVDs, was fined $55,000 yesterday for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was severely injured.
On June 16, 2009, at the company's workplace in Scarborough, Ont., a worker was cutting pieces of steel. The worker was aligning a piece of steel to be cut and had placed one hand near an open vice. The worker accidentally hit a switch that closed the vice, which crushed part of the worker's hand.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the moving vice was not guarded to prevent a worker from accessing its pinch point.

Cinram International Inc. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that moving vices were guarded to prevent access to a pinch point.

The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Patrick Marum. 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.