SUDBURY, ON — The Ontario Ministry of Labour is investigating after a Grade 12 student at St. Charles College cut off four of his fingers with a jointer during shop class Thursday.

Teachers responded with first aid immediately. The student was brought to hospital shortly thereafter, where it was determined that his fingers couldn't be reattached because of the damage.

A jointer is a woodworking machine used to produce a flat surface along a board's length.

The shop class has been closed to secure the scene of the accident and to retrofit the equipment.

Catherine McCullough, the Sudbury Catholic School Board's director of education, said the board is working to expedite the process to get the class started again.

Following a fatal shop class explosion at Mother Theresa High School in Ottawa last May, the Ministry of Labour started a blitz to inspect equipment in all of Ontario's schools.

Eric Leighton, 18, died in the blast, which resulted in a $275,000 fine against the Ottawa Catholic School Board.

Ministry spokesman Matt Blajer said the inspection of Ontario schools is ongoing because the ministry only has a limited number of inspectors to do the job.