Hazard summary

A worker in the meat department of a grocery store was injured while processing meat using a meat mixer/grinder machine. The worker opened the lid/guard of the machine while it was still running and reached inside. The worker’s arm became entangled with the moving parts.

Access to moving parts such as mixing arms, worms and other grinding accessories have caused crushing, laceration and fracture injuries. A guard or other device that prevents access to a moving part that may endanger a worker is required under the Industrial Establishments Regulation (Reg. 851).

Hazard locations

Hazard locations include bakeries, grocery stores, restaurants, cafeterias, supermarkets, hotels, theme parks, colleges, schools and the food processing industry.

Precautions and legal requirements

Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act

  • Clause 25 (2) (a) – "An employer shall provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker."
  • Clause 25 (2) (h) – "An employer shall take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker."

Under the Industrial Establishments Regulation

Guarding

Meat grinder/mixing machines must be guarded to prevent a worker from being exposed to moving parts. Employers may refer to CSA Standard CSA Z432-04, Safeguarding of Machinery, for guidance.

  • Section 24 – "Where a machine or prime mover or transmission equipment has an exposed moving part that may endanger the safety of any worker, the machine or prime mover or transmission equipment shall be equipped with and guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the moving part."
  • Section 25 – “An in-running nip hazard or any part of a machine, device or thing that may endanger the safety of any worker shall be equipped with and guarded by a guard or other device that prevents access to the pinch point.”

Maintenance

Section 75 – “A part of a machine, transmission machinery, device or thing shall be cleaned, oiled, adjusted, repaired or have maintenance work performed on it only when,

  1. motion that may endanger a worker has stopped; and
  2. any part that has been stopped and that may subsequently move and endanger a worker has been blocked to prevent its movement.”

Lock out

Section 76 – "Where the starting of a machine, transmission machinery, device or thing may endanger the safety of a worker,

  1. control switches or other control mechanisms shall be locked out; and
  2. other effective precautions necessary to prevent any starting shall be taken."

Pre-start review

A pre-start review may be required if installing or modifying a safeguarding device. Please see section 7 of the Industrial Establishments Regulation to determine whether a pre-start review is required.

For more information

This resource does not replace the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its regulations, and should not be used as or considered legal advice. Health and safety inspectors apply the law based on the facts in the workplace.