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Chilliwack wood product manufacturer fined $90,000 for ‘high-risk’ safety violations

WorkSafe BC says manufacturing has an injury rate 24 per cent higher than the provincial average
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Woodtone Industries on Aitken Road in Chilliwack. (GoogleMaps)

A Chilliwack wood product manufacturer has been handed a hefty fine for a “repeated high-risk” safety violation.

WorkSafeBC imposed a penalty of $88,348.85 to Woodtone Industries Inc. for repeated instances where an inspector observed a worker cleaning nozzles on a pressurized paint machine that was not locked out.

“The firm failed to isolate and effectively control energy sources if the unexpected startup could cause injury,” according to a WorkSafeBC public posting about the fine.

“This was a repeated and high-risk violation.”

Woodtone is described as a wood products manufacturing facility by WorkSafeBC.

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Woodtone makes exterior finishing products for the construction industry, and has been in operation for more than 30 years. They sell their products across North America.

Their head office is on Aitken Road in Chilliwack. The Progress reached out to Woodtone to comment on the WorkSafeBC violation but by Friday afternoon did not receive a response.

WorkSafeBC facts:

Manufacturing in B.C. has an injury rate that is 24 per cent higher than the provincial average

• In 2021, there were over 19,000 time-loss injuries in the manufacturing sector in B.C. and close to 4,000 of these were serious injuries

• Manufacturing workers are most at risk of injury by being caught in or struck by machinery – with fractures and lacerations to the fingers, hands and wrists being the most common injuries


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