Company Sentenced in Corner Brook Provincial Court

The Department of Government Services announced today that Stan Dawe Ltd. was sentenced in Provincial Court on January 17, 2007 upon pleading guilty to two violations of the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Act. Charges were laid in February 2006 as a result of an accident investigation carried out by the OHS Division. In addition to the company, a supervisor was also charged.

The accident occurred at the Stan Dawe Ltd. sawmill in Corner Brook on December 13, 2004, and involved a worker who sustained injuries to his fingers, hand and wrist from the belt drive system while he was operating a planing machine. The belt drive system was partially unguarded.

The company pled guilty to the charges of failing to establish and maintain an OHS program, and failing to ensure a machine with exposed moving parts was completely guarded to prevent contact with the moving parts.

The company was fined $2,000 on the first charge and $5,750 on the second charge. A victim fine surcharge of $250 was also awarded. The remaining three charges against the company were withdrawn, as was the single charge against the supervisor.

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Media contact:
Vanessa Colman-Sadd
Director of Communications
Department of Government Services
709-729-4860, 682-6593
vanessacolmansadd@gov.nl.ca

2007 01 23                               11:00 a.m.