Ontario diamond drilling blitz results in 191 orders

Inspectors issued 63 stop work orders in June

An Ontario safety blitz focused on the diamond drilling industry resulted in 63 stop work orders in June.

Ministry of Labour mining inspectors visited 38 workplaces during the month-long blitz, some of them more than once. In total, 61 visits were made resulting in 191 orders.

During June 2011, 65 per cent of the orders were for violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA). The rest of the orders were for violations involving the Regulation for Mines and Mining Plants, according to the ministry.

Since January 2009, seven workers at diamond drill operations received serious injuries. Two of the workers received critical injuries resulting from entanglement in rotating drill equipment.

During the same period, the workforce for surface diamond drill operations increased by 64 per cent. Many of the workers are new or young workers.

The blitz was conducted to promote:

•compliance with OHSA and its regulations

•improved safety of surface diamond drill sites, which are predominantly located in Ontario’s northern regions

Blitz focus

During the surface diamond drill blitz, inspectors checked that:

•Diamond drill workers were trained, as per specific requirements of the Regulation for Mines and Planting Plants. The training, called “Common Core,” educates workers on the mandatory safe practices when using diamond drills.

•Diamond drill sites were properly supervised and that supervisor contact information was available and known to the workers on site. Inspectors checked records of the supervisors’ visits and the frequency of the visits to the drill sites. The location of these sites can be in remote areas of the province and not always easily accessible.

•Emergency preparedness plans for the evacuation of workers requiring medical attention were developed and kept on site for the protection of the workers.

•Guarding devices where in place to protect workers from entanglement with rotating drill rods or other equipment.

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