A well-known Bradford farm has received a six-figure fine nearly two years after a fatal incident occurred there.
Gwillimdale Farms, located on Line 11, pleaded guilty in provincial offences court in Barrie Sept. 19. This is in relation to an Aug. 30, 2022 incident where a worker was injured while lubricating the potato line.
“By not ensuring the line’s uptake conveyor was equipped with a guard, Gwillimdale Farms Ltd. failed, as an employer, to ensure the measures and procedures prescribed by section 25 of the Regulation for Industrial Establishments were carried out in the workplace, contrary to section 25(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act,” the Ontario government said in a media release issued Oct. 8.
Gwillimdale has been fined $125,000 by Justice of the Peace Richard R. Therrien. The commercial farm and vegetable washing, grading and packaging facility also receives a 25-per-cent surcharge, as required by the Provincial Offences Act. The surcharge is credited to a special fund to assist victims of crime.
According to the province, workers were preparing the potato line, a custom-designed system of hoppers, conveyors, cleaners and packaging equipment, for start-up in the week prior to the incident. This included lubricating the line, which is done with the machinery running.
On Aug. 30, after the lead millwright went home, a trainee who was assigned other duties began lubricating the potato line alone and sustained fatal injuries.
A Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development investigation found the line’s uptake conveyor was not equipped with a guard to prevent access to the pinch point.
At the time, police said emergency crews responded to the call after the man was injured in a piece of equipment. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"Gwillimdale Farms is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our valued team members," a representative of Gwillimdale Farms representative said shortly after the incident. "During this time of sadness and grief, we ask that you continue to respect the privacy of the employee’s family, as well the privacy of all our team.”
Since the incident, the company has taken a number of preventative steps, including adding guarding, third-party guarding assessments and a comprehensive review of the training provided to workers and supervisors.
