Ssonnix had its first appearance in court on Sept. 28, 2023 and proceedings are ongoing.
The matter is still in the preliminary stages of the court proceedings and as such, information that can be shared is limited at this time.
The charges laid against Sonnix Products Inc. and its directors are as follows:
On or about the Jan. 6 to the Jan. 12, 2023, at, and while being the owner of 20 Keefer Road in the City of St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara, [being of property identifier number (PIN) 46301-0138(LT)] did commit the offence of:
- Fail to prepare, have approved, and implement a fire safety plan approved by the Chief Fire Official as per Div. B. s. 2.8.2.1. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit The City of St. Catharines Fire Services has not approved a fire safety plan for this building and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to establish, maintenance and operating procedures to prevent the escape of flammable liquids or combustible liquids to areas where they could create a fire or explosion hazard as per Div. B. s. 4.1.6.3. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit The Ssonix Products 2010 inc. standard operating guidelines did not include the maintenance and operating procedures to prevent the escape of flammable liquids or combustible liquids to areas where they could create a fire or explosion hazard and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to have a spill control procedure approved and implemented where flammable liquids or combustible liquids are stored, handled, processed or used as per Div. B. s. 4.1.6.4. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit a spill control procedure has not been approved and implemented for this building and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to prevent a spill of flammable liquids or combustible liquids from flowing outside of the spill area and from reaching waterways, sewer systems and potable water sources by constructing a non-combustible barrier capable of containing the spill, and grading the site or sloping the floor to divert the spill to a drainage system conforming to clauses 4.1.6.1.(1) (a) (b) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit The flammable storage bay at this building was not constructed with a non-combustible barrier capable of containing the spill, or grading the site or sloping the floor to divert the spill to a drainage system and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to provide a continuous mechanical ventilation system in the flammable storage bay as required by Clause 4.1.7.2.(1) (a) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the flammable storage bay did not have a continuous mechanical ventilation system and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to keep closed containers for flammable and combustible liquids when not in use as required by s. 4.1.8.1.(1) and (2) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit containers for flammable liquids or combustible liquids which were in the flammable storage bay were kept open when not in use and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Store flammable or combustible liquids in or adjacent to exits, including outdoors or principal routes that provide access to exits as prohibited by Clauses 4.2.2.2.(1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit 1000 Liter totes and 45 gallon drums that contained flammable liquid were stored adjacent to the exit in the flammable storage bay within the access to the exit of the man door and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to properly mark containers containing flammable and combustible material as required by Clauses 4.2.3.2.(1) (a) (b) (c ) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit containers for flammable liquids or combustible liquids which were located in the flammable storage bay were not labelled or distinctly marked as required and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to store and dispense flammable liquids and combustible liquids in rooms that comply with Subsection 4.2.9 of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the flammable storage bay lacked required ventilation, explosion venting, and portable fire extinguishers and did thereby commit an offence contrary to the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997, c. 4 as amended, s. 28(1)(c).
- Fail to dispense or transfer Class I or II liquids in a storage area of the correct size outlined in s. 4.2.7.4.(1) and (2) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the flammable storage bay exceeded the maximum allowance of 100m² in size and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to store flammable and combustible liquids in storage areas conforming to the allowable height of 1.5 meters permitted in s. 4.2.7.5.(1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit flammable and combustible liquids were stored in totes exceeding 1.5 meters high, the maximum allowable height and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to store flammable and combustible liquids in a room required in Part 4 as required by Article 4.2.9.1. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit failed to dispense flammable and combustible liquids in a proper designated dispensing room and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to store flammable and combustible liquids in a storage room designed to prevent critical structure and mechanical damage from an internal explosion as required by s 4.2.9.6. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit the flammable and combustible liquids that were stored in the building were not located in a storage room that was designed to prevent critical structure and mechanical damage from an internal explosion and thereby did commit and offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Obstruct fire access routes, access panels or windows to facilitate access for firefighting operations by vehicles, gates, fences, building materials, vegetation, signs or any other form of obstruction pursuant to s. 2.5.1.2. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit fire access routes were obstructed by a locked gate, building material, storage totes, containers, and garbage containers and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to display approved signs to indicate fire access routes as required by s. 2.5.1.4. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit there were no approved fire access route signs displayed on this property and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Store fuel-fired industrial trucks in detached buildings in areas where the vehicles create a fire hazard to the storage area as prohibited by s. 3.4.2.1. (1) (a) (b) and (c ) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit fuel fired industrial truck stored in flammable storage bay and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to supervise and have personnel present during loading and unloading of a tank vehicle as required by s. 4.11.3.4. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit no personnel were present at the tank vehicle during loading and unloading to shut off the flow of liquid in an emergency and thereby did commit and offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to ensure that building and machinery surfaces shall be kept clean of accumulations of combustible dust as required by s. 5.10.1.2. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit the mdf dust that was located in the solidification building was ignitable, therefore creating a fire hazard and no system that removes dust to a safe location was installed and thereby did commit and offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to provide proper machinery that produces, agitates or conveys combustible dusts as required by s. 5.10.1.3. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07 as amended to wit machinery in the solidification bay were not provided with dust-tight casings or enclosures and were not connected to a dust-collecting system that exhausts to the outside and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to provide explosion venting to the outdoors for an activity that creates an explosive atmosphere of combustible dusts in a building as required by s. 5.10.1.7. (1) of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit there was no explosion venting on the solidification building where combustible dust was located and did thereby commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).
- Fail to ensure open flame and spark producing equipment was not used in areas containing combustible dust producing operations as required by s. 5.10.1.14. of O.Reg. 213/07, as amended to wit an individual was observed using an open flame torch inside the solidification building where combustible dusts were located and thereby did commit an offence contrary to Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997, S.O. 1997 c.4, as amended Section 28(1)(c).