Linamar fined $200k after employee injured in furnace incident

Guelph, Ontario — Linmar, prominent car-parts maker based in Guelph, Ont., has been fined $200,000 after a worker was hit by a furnace fireball.

The incident at Linamar Corporation occurred in October 2018; Ontario’s Labour Ministry says the worker was opening the furnace door to remove a part.

“Upon opening the door, a fireball erupted from the open doorway,” the ministry’s release said.

Usually, the furnace door is blocked and covered by a fire curtain to maintain a controlled environment inside the furnace when the door is open. The fire curtain is lit by a pilot light, which ignites the curtain before the door is opened.

In the 2018 incident, a fireball erupted from the open doorway, burning the worker critically.

It says the worker was not wearing protective clothing or a shield, in violation of the law.