Worker was seriously injured while cleaning 'dough chunker'
A Toronto industrial bakery has been fined $50,000 after a worker was seriously injured while cleaning out an industrial dough mixer.
Niche Bakers Corp. pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the machine’s control switch was locked out to prevent it from being activated.
The incident happened on March 22, 2021 while two workers were cleaning out the mixer, known as a “dough chunker.” The Ministry of Labour says the machine was located inside a gated and fenced zone.
“With the entrance controlled by safety gates/swing-out doors which, when in the opened position, would prevent the dough chunker from starting. When workers were inside the gated zone the power was required to be off and the safety gates left open.”
The ministry says one worker was inside the gated area to clean the machine, while the other worker was at the control panel outside the fenced zone. The outside worker closed the gates, which reset the system to cycle.
“When asked by the first worker, the second worker turned on the dough chunker momentarily to rotate the uncleaned portions of machine parts into position for the first worker to clean. As a result, the first worker was seriously injured by the rotating blades,” says the ministry.
Niche Bakers Corp was found to be in violation of section 76(a) of Ontario Regulation 851, which states if starting a machine can endanger the safety of a worker, then it must be locked out.
