Ontario issued nearly 200 safety orders in mining blitz

Ontario inspectors issued almost 200 safety orders during an enforcement blitz to raise awareness and increase compliance with health and safety laws at underground and surface mines.
From Oct. 1 to Nov. 30, 2015, Ministry of Labour inspectors visited 67 mining workplaces across the province. Some of the mines were visited several times.

The inspectors issued 192 orders for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and its regulations. This included:
•16 orders to stop work on equipment in response to health and safety issues
•23 orders for not following required program guidelines and provincial modular training standard
•153 orders for hazards involving equipment, protective barriers (such as fencing), safety precautions and ground conditions.

All of the orders issued during the blitz have been addressed by the employers.

Ontario has about 40 underground mines and thousands of surface mines, with about 26,000 workers. In 2015, four workers died and 28 workers were critically injured in incidents at mining workplaces.