Canfor fined $489K after worker injured in B.C. mill

View of downtown Prince George is seen from L.C. Gunn Park in this photo shared by the city on Dec. 1, 2023. (City of Prince George/Facebook)

The operators of a pulp and paper mill in northern British Columbia have been fined nearly half a million dollars by the provincial workplace safety regulator after an employee was injured on the job.

WorkSafeBC says its investigators visited a Canfor Pulp Ltd. mill site in Prince George after a worker was injured when an “unguarded cylinder activated on a hydraulic pumping system.”

The inspectors determined the company failed to ensure the machinery was fitted with proper safeguards to protect its workers from injury, the regulator said in a summary of the incident published online.

The agency ordered Canfor Pulp Ltd. to pay a penalty of $489,104.10, describing the incident as a “high-risk violation.”

WorkSafeBC says its monetary penalties are calculated primarily based on the employer’s total payroll, while also considering the nature of the violation and the company’s history of prior infractions, if any.

“The primary purpose of an administrative penalty is to motivate the employer receiving the penalty — and other employers — to comply with occupational health and safety legislation and regulation, and to keep their workplaces safe,” the agency says.

Canfor, which operates three pulp and paper mills and one sawmill in Prince George, said the incident occurred at its Northwood Pulp Mill earlier this year.

“We deeply regret that a worker was injured at our site,” the company said in a statement to CTV News, describing the worker’s wound as a “hand injury.”

“We understand the individual returned to work after a successful surgery and recovery and that he is back to his regular duties.”

Canfor added that it took “immediate steps to safeguard the equipment that was involved in the incident.”

“Through both immediate and ongoing efforts, Canfor Pulp is steadfast in our commitment to safety in our facilities,” the company said. “We are committed to the safety of our employees and contractors, and we actively drive high standards and continuous improvement in all our operations.”