A recent Ontario Court of Justice appeal1 overturned
convictions of a company and its supervisor in connection with an
accident that occurred at a wood processing facility.
Unfortunately, a worker was seriously injured.
The Facts
In the course of the operation of a large industrial rip saw, an
approximately 18” long wood splinter with the diameter of a
broomstick was ejected from the saw at high velocity. The wood
travelled 10 feet and struck an employee who was working at the end
of another identical saw. The wood piece, described by the court as
a “spear,” pierced the employee’s arm near his
elbow and embedded deep into his flesh. He has lasting nerve damage
and was never able to return to work.
