{"data":{"cache":"2026-07-21 15:16:01","id":1007786,"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":"St. Joseph\u2019s Healthcare Hamilton Fined $65,000 for Workplace Injury","clean_title":"St. Joseph\u2019s Healthcare Hamilton Fined $65,000 for Workplace Injury","content_subtitle":null,"content_lead":"<p><strong>Convicted:<\/strong> St. Joseph\u2019s Healthcare Hamilton, 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario, an academic and research hospital<\/p>","content_body":"<p><strong>Location of Workplace:<\/strong> 50 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario<\/p><p><strong>Description of Offence:<\/strong> A worker was critically injured when the lid of a Megafuge fell while the machine was being loaded. The employer failed to ensure that the machine was maintained and in good condition, contrary to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/laws\/statute\/90o01#:~:text=the%20equipment%2C%20materials%20and%20protective%20devices%20provided%20by%20the%20employer%20are%20maintained%20in%20good%20condition%3B\">section 25(1)(b)<\/a> of the <em>Occupational Health and Safety Act<\/em>.<\/p><p><strong>Date of Offence:<\/strong> August 28, 2024<\/p><p><strong>Date of Conviction:<\/strong> June 18, 2026<\/p><p><strong>Penalty Imposed:<\/strong><\/p><ul>\t<li><span><span>Following a guilty plea in the Provincial Offences Court in Hamilton, St. Joseph\u2019s Healthcare Hamilton was fined $65,000 by Justice of the Peace Krista Whittard; Crown Counsel was Jeffrey Ludlow.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><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><\/li><\/ul><p><strong>Background:<\/strong><\/p><ul>\t<li><span><span>On August 28, 2024, a worker in the hospital's virology laboratory was loading samples into a Thermo Scientific Heraeus Megafuge 16R Centrifuge, a machine used to separate samples for diagnostic testing and research.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span>The Megafuge's lid gas strut, a supporting device that holds the lid open during loading, required replacement. As a result, the worker had to hold the lid open manually.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span>While loading the samples, the lid of the Megafuge slipped and fell, causing a critical injury.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span>Prior to this incident, calibration and maintenance was performed on the Megafuge in June 2023 and again in June 2024, with both reports indicating that the lid gas strut required replacement. <\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span>Following the 2024 report, efforts were made to replace the lid gas strut, but the repair was delayed due to an incorrect replacement part. <\/span><\/span><\/li>\t<li><span><span>The repair was completed on August 30, 2024, after the incident occurred.<\/span><\/span><\/li><\/ul>","default_contacts_included_flag":null,"keywords":"","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":1007786,"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":"2026-07-21 15:15:00","release_date_time_formatted":"July 21, 2026","release_id_translated":1007786,"release_type_id":2007,"release_type_name":"Court Bulletin","release_type_label":"court","release_crossreferences_resources":"","release_resources":null,"slug":"st-josephs-healthcare-hamilton-fined-65000-for-workplace-injury","slug_translated":"st-josephs-healthcare-hamilton-recoit-une-amende-de-65-000-dollars-a-la-suite-dune-blessure-au-travail","status_type_id":3002,"streams":null,"owners":[],"tags":[],"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}],"unformatted_slug":"st_josephs_healthcare_hamilton_fined_65000_for_workplace_injury","unformatted_slug_translated":"st_josephs_healthcare_hamilton_recoit_une_amende_de_65_000_dollars_a_la_suite_dune_blessure_au_travail","release_distribution_id":5003,"release_language_distribution":7001,"distributed":false,"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":""}}}