Company pleads guilty after man’s hand is severed
Mountain View Packers Ltd. in Florenceville-Bristol has been fined $4,800 under the Occupational Health and Safety Act after an employee lost his hand in a workplace accident at the potato packaging plant in 2023.
The company pleaded guilty on Oct. 20 to failing to provide adequate safeguards on rollers that may endanger employees’ safety. The charge was laid following an on-the-job accident around 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 18, 2023.
The court heard a new employee was cleaning a conveyor belt when his jacket became entangled in the equipment, and his hand was severed. The rollers were still in operation at the time.
Mountain View Packers has 53 employees and supplies potatoes that are washed, sized, and packaged for the fresh market. The company had no prior convictions under the Act.
Defence Counsel James Crocco told the court the company had followed all recommendations to improve safety at the plant. He acknowledged it was a “tragic accident that had serious repercussions for the employee involved.”
Judge Karen Lee said the accident appeared to be caused by a lack of communication about safety procedures. She said the amount of the fine, jointly requested by the crown and defence, may not be sufficient for such a serious accident, but she followed their recommendation.
