An Oakville steel processor has been fined $125,000 in connection with an incident that led to a worker’s injuries.

Samuel, Son & Co., Limited, which operates as Nelson Steel, provides steel coil processing services and packaging. The company pled guilty in provincial court to a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act. It will also pay a 25 percent victim fine surcharge.

The incident occurred in November 2023.

A Nelson Steel worker was using electronic control panels to operate a turnstile and down-ender table. The turnstile rotates the steel coils, while the down-ender table lowers them into a horizontal position so they can move along the packaging line on a roller conveyor.

The worker used the control panels to transfer a steel coil from the turnstile to the down-ender table and lower it into the horizontal position.

A nearby worker noticed that the tail of the coil had popped out or become unsecured. This worker entered the area between the turnstile and the down-ender table and leaned over the coil to attempt the repair.

During the repair, the worker at the control panels inadvertently activated the turnstile pusher, causing a coil to be pushed off the turnstile arm and fall to the ground, injuring the worker performing the repair.

An investigation by the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development found that the company failed as an employer to ensure that the measures and procedures as required by section 26 of the Ontario Regulation 851, were carried out at the workplace, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Following the incident, the company complied with an order requiring the incident area to be shielded or guarded.