{"data":{"cache":"2025-11-26 19:27:48","id":1006350,"previous_administration_flag":0,"assets":null,"contacts_custom":null,"contacts_default":null,"contacts":"<p><strong>Media Relations<\/strong><br \/>Communications Branch<br \/><a href=\"mailto:mlitsdmedialine@ontario.ca\">mlitsdmedialine@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>","content_title":"Brampton Company Fined $144,000 After Furnace Explosion Injures Workers","clean_title":"Brampton Company Fined $144,000 After Furnace Explosion Injures Workers","content_subtitle":null,"content_lead":"<p><strong>Convicted:<\/strong> Metex Heat Treating Ltd., a company that does heat treatment on metal parts and fasteners<\/p>","content_body":"<p><strong>Location of Workplace: <\/strong>44 Westwyn Court, Brampton, Ontario<\/p><p><strong>Description of Offence<\/strong>: Two workers were seriously injured in a flash fire while re-starting a furnace. The company failed, as an employer, to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker, contrary to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/statute\/90o01#BK51\">section 25(2)(h)<\/a> of the <em>Occupational Health and Safety Act<\/em>.<\/p><p><strong>Date of Offence: <\/strong>January 5, 2023<\/p><p><strong>Date of Conviction: <\/strong>July 24, 2025<\/p><p><strong>Penalty Imposed:<\/strong><\/p><ul>\t<li><span><span><span>Following a guilty plea in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, the company was fined $144,000 by Justice of the Peace Dan D&rsquo;Ignazio; Crown Counsel was Wes Wilson.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span>The court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the <em>Provincial Offences Act<\/em>. The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to assist victims of crime.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Background:<\/strong><\/p><ul>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>On January 5, 2023, two workers were re-starting a furnace that had been shut down for several weeks.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The furnace used a gas combination, including hydrogen for combustion and a petroleum-based oil quench tank, both of which posed flammable risks.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>The established procedure required purging the furnace with nitrogen before igniting the pilot light. One worker completed the purge but delayed ignition, which allowed residual flammable vapours to collect in the furnace.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>When the pilot light was lit, a flash fire occurred, injuring both workers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>One worker had been provided with flame-resistant coveralls. The other had not been provided coveralls and was wearing clothing that was not suitable for protection against flash fires.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span><span><span><span><span>Metex did not provide adequate protective clothing to all workers engaged in furnace operations or working near a furnace, contrary to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/statute\/90o01#BK51\">section 25(2)(h)<\/a> of the <em>Occupational Health and Safety Act<\/em>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul>","default_contacts_included_flag":null,"keywords":"workplace injury","language":"en","media_assets":null,"lead_ministry":{"id":242,"ministries_timeframes_id":6,"acronym":"MLITSD","acronym_fr":"MTIFDC","featured_story_boost":100000,"name":"Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development","name_abbreviated":"Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development","name_fr":"Minist\u00e8re du Travail, de l\u2019Immigration, de la Formation et du D\u00e9veloppement des comp\u00e9tences","name_fr_abbreviated":"Travail, Immigration, Formation et D\u00e9veloppement des comp\u00e9tences","created_at":"2025-03-19T20:25:45.000000Z","deleted_at":null,"updated_at":"2025-03-19T20:25:45.000000Z","pivot":{"release_id":1006350,"ministry_id":242,"lead_ministry_flag":1}},"partner_ministries":[],"ministry_acronym_opposite":"mtifdc","ministry_id":242,"ministry_acronym":"MLITSD","ministry_name":"Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development","ministry_abbreviated":"Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development","preview_expires":null,"quickfacts":null,"quotes":[],"regions":[],"release_date_time":"2025-08-21 16:15:00","release_date_time_formatted":"August 21, 2025","release_id_translated":1006350,"release_type_id":2007,"release_type_name":"Court Bulletin","release_type_label":"court","release_crossreferences_resources":"","release_resources":null,"slug":"brampton-company-fined-144000-after-furnace-explosion-injures-workers","slug_translated":"une-entreprise-de-brampton-recoit-une-amende-de-144-000-dollars-apres-lexplosion-dun-four-industriel-qui-a-fait-des-blesses","status_type_id":3002,"streams":null,"owners":[],"tags":[{"label":"workplace injury","value":158}],"topics":[{"label":"Courts, justice and law","description":"Ontario\u2019s laws and related information about our legal system, emergency services, the Ontario Provincial Police and victim services.","link":"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/courts-justice-and-law","value":10},{"label":"Jobs and employment","description":"Find resources and supports for job seekers and employers.","link":"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/page\/jobs-and-employment","value":9}],"unformatted_slug":"brampton_company_fined_144000_after_furnace_explosion_injures_workers","unformatted_slug_translated":"une_entreprise_de_brampton_recoit_une_amende_de_144_000_dollars_apres_lexplosion_dun_four_industriel_qui_a_fait_des_blesses","release_distribution_id":5001,"release_language_distribution":null,"distributed":true,"additional":{"content_notes":null,"content_location":null,"content_date":null,"content_time":null,"content_livestream_url":null,"content_epk_url":null,"content_nr_url":null,"content_crossreferences":[],"created_by":null,"content_assets":null,"content_assets_formatted":""}}}