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Labour ministry issued work orders against Midtronics

The Ontario Labour Ministry has issued seven orders against Midtronics Inc. in relation to an incident at its North Bay operation, BayToday.ca has learned. Midtronics confirmed several days ago that it was downsizing Midtronics Canada Inc.
The Ontario Labour Ministry has issued seven orders against Midtronics Inc. in relation to an incident at its North Bay operation, BayToday.ca has learned.

Midtronics confirmed several days ago that it was downsizing Midtronics Canada Inc., its Ferris Drive facility, putting 40 to 45 people out of work June 30.

The Labour Ministry had made a visit to the facility March 30, after a Midtronics employee had suffered a non-critical injury, said ministry spokeswoman Belinda Sutton.

As a result of the investigation Midtronics was ordered to:

1. Ensure the operating controls for the company's diode press provide adequate safety for the protection of the operator by requiring simultaneous activation with both hands and by requiring the controls to be shielded to prevent accidental operation, and to ensure failure of any control component will not result in an unsafe press operation;

2. Ensure all power-operated machinery in the workplace is tested by a professional engineer and that the Ministry of Labour is provided with a written assessment of the guarding of that equipment for compliance with Canadian Standards Association (CSA) Standard Z432-04 "Safe Guarding of Machinery", and CSA Standard Z142-M90 Punch Press and Brake Press Operation;

3. Ensure access to exposed live electrical components in the back of the meter tester is prevented by a barrier or similar means;

4. Provide the Ministry of Labour with the following documentation: workplace monthly health and safety inspections for the past 18 months, Joint Health and Safety Committee (JHSC) meeting minutes for the past two years, the personnel and training records for an injured worker, the written operating procedures for the use of the diode press; the manufacturer's maintenance and operating manuals, as well as all maintenance records for the diode press and a worker's Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Form 7 Report;

5. Ensure that within four days of an occurrence, the Ministry of Labour is given written notice if a person is disabled from performing his or her usual work or requires medical attention because of an accident, explosion or fire at a workplace, but that no person dies or is critically injured because of that occurrence. The notice should include the names of the JHSC members, the health and safety representative and the trade union, if any, as well as the name of a company director if the Ministry of Labour requires notification of a director;

6. Ensure a worker member of the JHSC is certified at the workplace;

7. Submit to the Ministry of Labour a compliance plan prepared in the manner and including such items as required by the order if a provision of the Occupational Health and Safety Act or regulations is being contravened. The compliance plan must specify what the employer plans to do to comply with the order and when the employer intends to achieve compliance.

Sutton said the ministry is continuing to investigate.

BayToday.ca will be following this story today.