Staffing buyer Halton Recycling Ltd. in Ontario was fined $225,000 last month after a recycling truck driver employed by a staffing firm was thrown from one of its trucks and died in an incident that happened last May.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour reported the worker was driving a recycling truck that was capable of being driven on either the left-hand side in a seated position or on the right-hand side in a standing position. Halton’s safety manual called for the truck to be driven under 30 kph (about 18 mph) when driving from the right-hand side. However, the driver was traveling at 77 kph (50 mph) and lost control when entering a curve in the road and was thrown from the vehicle. He suffered head injuries and later died.

An investigation by the Ministry of Labour and police also found drivers with the company acknowledged operating vehicles from the stand-up side at speeds of between 60 and 80 kph. In addition, the driver who died was not wearing a safety restraint and the restraint at the time was not working.

“Halton Recycling failed as an employer to take all precautions reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker, as provided for in Section 25(2)(h) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act,” according to the Ministry of Labour. “Specifically, the company failed to take the reasonable precautions of ensuring that a worker when operating a waste material collection vehicle from the cab’s right-hand side and stand-up driving location did not exceed a speed of 32 kph and was protected by closing and latching the passenger side door or its safety restraint device.”

In addition to the fine, the company will also have to pay a 25% victim fine surcharge.

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