Company Fined Thousands After Worker Doused in Hot Limestone on the Job in Brampton

Brampton | Ontario | Latest News |

Published November 16, 2017 at 2:39 am

A Toronto-based roofing company with a facility in Brampton has been slapped with a major fine after a worker suffered critical injuries on the job last year.

A Toronto-based roofing company with a facility in Brampton has been slapped with a major fine after a worker suffered critical injuries on the job last year.

According to the province, IKO Industries Ltd. – a company that manufactures roofing products with a facility at 71 Orenda Road – has been fined a grand total of $85,000 after hot limestone poured onto a worker at about 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

The incident occurred on June 7, 2016 when there was an issue with a filler dump valve.

Here’s what happened:

A superintendent at the plant was trying to fix an issue with the roofing mill line, which is a series of pipes and hoppers that heat powdered limestone. That’s where asphalt roofing products are made.

“After determining that there was a problem with a filler dump valve,  the equipment was shut down electronically using the computer system. It was then determined that the dump valve needed to be replaced. Two workers were instructed by their supervisor to remove and replace the dump valve.”

So, one worker went to remove the part that connects the hopper to the valve. 

But the valve opened and hot limestone doused the worker, who sustained critical injuries.

The computer system was incorrectly interpreted and it was believed that the hopper was empty. Really, no one took action to check if the hopper was drained or free of harmful material before the worker removed the part.

IKO was convicted under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and according to the Industrial Establishments Regulation, “where repairs or alterations are to be made on a pipeline such as the roofing mill line, the pipeline shall be drained and cleaned or otherwise rendered free from any explosive, flammable or harmful substance.”

The court also 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.

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