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June, 2006: BURLINGTON,
ON, June 7 /CNW/ - Prokleen Washing Services (Oakville)
Inc.,an Aurora, Ont.-based cleaning company which owns and
operates an industrial establishment in Oakville that
specializes in the cleaning of tanker trucks, was fined
$60,000 on June 6, 2006 for a violation of the Occupational
Health and Safety Act that resulted in chemical burns to two
employees.
On May 16, 2005, two workers were on the outside of a tank
cleaning the inside when one of the workers decided to enter
the tank to clean some dirty spots. The worker climbed inside
and proceeded to use a chemical cleaner without putting on any
protective equipment such as respiratory equipment, coveralls,
gloves, safety glasses, hardhat, five-point harness and
lifeline. All of this equipment was available for the worker's
use at the workplace.
The cleaner emitted strong fumes and the worker inside the
tank soon became disoriented and fell down unconscious in the
tank, knocking over the pail of cleaner. When yells from the
second worker, who was outside, failed to awaken the first
worker, who was inside, the second worker called out "man
down" and entered the tank. The second worker wore no
respiratory equipment, but tried to refrain from breathing
while attempting to get the first worker into a five-point
harness for extrication from the tank. The second worker then
fell unconscious too.
Other workers managed to remove the second worker who suffered
chemical burns to the face, right arm and buttock, abdomen and
chest. Firefighters extricated the first worker who received
chemical burns to the legs, buttocks and back. The incident
occurred at the company's tanker truck cleaning facility at
2378 Royal Windsor Drive in Oakville.
Prokleen Washing Services (Oakville) Inc. pleaded guilty, as
an employer, to:
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failing to provide information, instruction and
supervision to the first worker on the cleaning of a
confined space with a chemical stripper and |
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>> failing to provide current information,
instruction and supervision to the second worker on the
removal from a confined space of a worker that required
assistance. |
This charge
was contrary to Section 25(2)(a) of the act.
The fine was
imposed by Justice of the Peace Barry Quinn of the Ontario
Court of Justice in Burlington. In addition, 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.
Source:
http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2006/06/07/c7465.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html
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