DRYDEN, Ontario — Resolute FP Canada Inc., a Montreal, Quebec-based producer of wood, pulp, tissue, and paper products, was fined $500,000 (CAN) after a worker was fatally injured at the Ignace Sawmill, Ignace, Ontario. The worker's name was not released.

On March 28, 2022, an electrician attempted to repair a photo-eye on a debarking machine that the court ruled was inadequately locked out. Resolute FP Canada Inc. failed to ensure that the machine was locked out as prescribed by section 76(a) of Ontario Regulation 851, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Following a guilty plea in Provincial Offences Court in Dryden, Resolute FP Canada Inc. was fined $500,000 (CAD)and a 25 percent victim fine surcharge was imposed as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.

Before the electrician attempted the repair, they worked with a maintenance team to lock out the machine according to the company’s written lockout procedure. Workers also attempted to verify that isolation and de-energization of the machine had been successful, in accordance with the procedure.

The worker then began performing maintenance and repairs, believing the machine was properly locked out. While working alone, the worker positioned himself in a gap between the machine’s infeed roller gears. The rollers slowly and unexpectedly moved, trapping and fatally injuring the worker.

A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training, and Skills Development investigation determined that the company’s written lockout procedure was inadequate to protect the workers from the hazard of the infeed rollers and drive gears moving while they were working on the machine. Not all energy sources were identified and controlled, and the verification procedure did not test all hazardous energy sources.