Saturn Tool & Die (Windsor) Inc., an automotive parts manufacturer based in Oldcastle, Ont., has been fined $180,000 after pleading guilty in the death of a worker fatally injured while troubleshooting a stamping press. The conviction, under Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act, follows an investigation into the March 28, 2022, incident.
According to court documents, the maintenance worker was called to address a quality control issue with an Eagle 2750-ton stamping press at the company’s facility on Hennin Drive. The worker entered the press through its light curtain, which automatically stopped its operation but failed to secure the machine by locking out its ram blocks and inserting electronic lockout plugs.
Unaware of the worker’s presence inside the machine, another employee reset the light curtains and cycled the press, resulting in the fatal injury.
The Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation found that workers commonly skipped the use of ram blocks during short maintenance tasks. This failure to follow proper lockout and blocking procedures violated section 75 of Ontario Regulation 851, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
On September 4, 2024, Saturn Tool pleaded guilty in Windsor Provincial Offences Court. Justice of the Peace Susan E. Whelan imposed the $180,000 fine, along with a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge. The surcharge, mandated under the Provincial Offences Act, contributes to a provincial fund supporting victims of crime.
The case underscores the importance of strict adherence to lockout and blocking procedures during equipment maintenance to protect worker safety.
