Employer ‘did not provide adequate protective clothing to all workers engaged in furnace operations or working near a furnace’
Metex Heat Treating Ltd., a Brampton-based company specialising in the heat treatment of metal parts and fasteners, has been fined $144,000 after a furnace explosion left two workers seriously injured, the Ontario government announced.
The incident took place on January 5, 2023, at the company’s facility on Westwyn Court. According to the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the two workers were attempting to re-start a furnace that had been out of operation for several weeks. The furnace, which uses a combination of hydrogen gas for combustion and a petroleum-based oil quench tank, presented significant flammable hazards.
Investigators found that the standard safety procedure required purging the furnace with nitrogen before lighting the pilot. However, after one worker completed the purge, there was a delay before ignition, allowing flammable vapours to accumulate inside the furnace. When the pilot was eventually lit, a flash fire erupted, causing serious injuries to both workers.
The Ministry’s report highlighted that only one of the injured workers had been provided with flame-resistant coveralls. The second worker was not supplied with appropriate protective clothing and was wearing regular attire, which did not offer protection against flash fires. The investigation concluded that Metex Heat Treating Ltd. failed to take every reasonable precaution for worker safety, as required under section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, Justice of the Peace Dan D’Ignazio imposed the $144,000 fine on July 24, 2025. Crown Counsel Wes Wilson prosecuted the case. In addition to the fine, the court levied a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge, which will be directed to a provincial fund supporting victims of crime.
Fire safety plan
A furnace can be a source of ignition of fire in the workplace, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).
The agency noted that it’s important for employers to have a fire safety plan. The plan should outline:
- A safe and orderly way for occupants to evacuate the building.
- Proper maintenance and housekeeping required to prevent fires.
- Methods of control that minimize the damage from fires when they do occur.
According to CCOHS, plans should be specific to the property or business. Conducting an audit or review of the property or business will help identify factors that could affect fire safety. Items in this audit include site layout, points of entry/exit, roadways, use of the building, where and how items are stored, how items are used, water or fire department connections, alarm systems, sprinkler systems, and many other factors.
While specific requirements may vary by jurisdiction, in general, a fire safety plan should include:
- Emergency procedures to be used in case of fire, including how to:
- sound the alarm,
- notify the fire department, building or business officials, or other designated staff as specified in the plan (e.g., all telephones on site should have the emergency phone numbers listed and the address of the property posted close by),
- evacuate occupants (e.g., procedures occupants should follow when the fire alarm sounds),
- evacuate persons who may need assistance, and
- confine, control, and extinguish the fire where possible.
- How, and how often fire drills will be conducted.
- Information for any designated staff who have been given fire safety duties and responsibilities.
- Organization, education, and training for staff with fire safety duties.
- Information and actions to take to prevent or control fire hazards for that building or business, where appropriate.
- Other staff education and training that may be necessary.
- Detailed maintenance procedures for fire protection systems.
- Diagrams and instructions about the type, location, and operation of any fire or emergency systems.
- Identification of alternative fire safety measures.
- Allow fire department access to the building and to the fire location within the building.
