Company Fined for Worker’s Injury in Press

Failing to ensure that a press was equipped with an automatic start-up warning device that sounded when a press was being closed from all positions has cost an Ottawa company $75,000, plus a 25 percent victim fine surcharge.

Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd., a security printing company, was investigated by the Ontario Ministry of Labour after a worker suffered crushed fingers and a broken wrist.

Workers were restarting a press machine that has two hydraulically powered towers that come together to close the press. To restart the press, buttons on the inside of the towers had to be reset.

A worker at the bottom of the towers opened the press to access reset buttons. A second worker accessed the top of the towers to press one of the buttons and a third worker at ground level pressed yet another button, which caused the press to start.

The towers closed on the second worker’s hand and wrist, causing injuries. While the press was equipped with a start-up warning device, it did not sound when the press closed after being opened just a few inches. The warning device likely would have prevented the worker’s injuries.