Brampton, Ontario — An eastern Ontario scrap metal recycler has been fined under the province’s Occupational Health and Safety Act following the death of an employee in Brampton.
Global Metal Sources will be required to pay a fine of $85,000, in addition to a 25 percent victim fine surcharge after an investigation led by the Ministry of Labour determined the company to be responsible for a fatal accident that occurred at a Triple M scrap metal yard in Brampton, Ont. on April 5, 2021.
“A driver was fatally injured when the box from an adjacent 45-foot dump trailer fell on their trailer cab as the box was being lifted. The company had failed to ensure the dump trailer was maintained in good condition,” read the Ministry of Labour’s description of the offence.
GMS and its affiliated recycling facilities have built a bit of a reputation, particularly in the Quinte region, where local emergency services have been called to put out fires at its facilities more than a few times.
Local media reported on three separate fires that broke out at a Trenton, Ont. scrap metal yard in 2021 alone, prompting several visits from the Ministry of Labour in the process.
This most recent incident claimed the life of a truck driver employed by Global Metal Sources.
The company was officially convicted on May 30 and will likely be given 12 months to pay its fine.
The original notice of conviction from the Ontario government can be found here.
