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Toronto linerboard mill fined for worker death

A subsidiary of Atlantic Packaging has been fined $125,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a maintenance worker died in a fall last year.

A subsidiary of Atlantic Packaging has been fined $125,000 for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a maintenance worker died in a fall last year.

A supervisor at the company, Morteza Alemia, was fined $5,000 in relation to the same incident.

The incident occurred on July 12, 2010, at New Forest Paper Mills LP in Toronto. A maintenance worker at the Toronto facility was working on a sprinkler system from a ladder that was on a platform about five metres high. Alemi was holding the ladder. When a blast of water came through the sprinkler, the worker lost balance and fell to the concrete floor, suffering fatal injuries.

A Ministry of Labour investigation found that the worker was not wearing a safety belt and harness.

New Forest Paper Mills pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that the worker was wearing a fall arrest system. Alemi pleaded guilty to the same.

In addition to the fines, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act.

New Forest Paper Mills produces linerboard and corrugating medium from waste corrugated cardboard. The facility opened in 2006.