Tupling Farms Limited — a Dundalk area potato farm — has been fined 90 thousand dollars for a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act after a worker was killed.
On September 21st, 2010, workers were harvesting potatoes in a field in Melancthon Township, northeast of Dundalk.
Some plant material got tangled in the harvester and the workers cleared it away.
The operator of the harvester was then signalled to reverse the machine.
While in reverse, it rolled over and killed a worker who had moved from the front of the harvester.
30 year old Michael Tupling of Mulmur Township died of his injuries after he was caught in a harvesting machine.
A Ministry of Labour investigation found that Tupling Farms had not developed or implemented any written procedures for safely cleaning debris from the harvester.
Tupling Farms Limited pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of developing and implementing written procedures for the safe clearing of debris from a harvester.
The fine was imposed by Justice of the Peace Michael Barnes.
In addition to the fine, the court imposed a 25-per-cent victim fine surcharge.
