Mining subsector trends

Underground mines

Underground mines include ramp or shaft access and can involve a variety of mining methods such as bulk or narrow vein mining. They also include the surface buildings (surface plants at mine sites) associated with the underground operations.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, the most common orders issued under the OHSA were for violations of employer duties, including the general duty to ensure the equipment, materials and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b)], and the duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker [clause 25(2)(h)]. and the duty to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker [clause 25(2)(a)].

Inspectors also wrote orders requiring the production of drawings, specifications, licence, document, record or report, and inspect, examine and copy the same [clause 54 (1)(c)].

Stop work orders were also common within the Mining Program. Stop work orders are orders issued by an inspector where the contravention of the act or the regulations endangers a worker [clause 57(6)(a)].

In addition, there were also a number of orders written under Regulation 854 – Mines and Mining Plants concerning:

• good electrical practices [section 155]
• workplace examinations [subsection 66(1)].
• the isolation of hazardous areas [section 68]
• safe access to workplaces [subsection 46(1) and (2)]
• accumulation of flammable refuse [section 29].

More information

• Workplace Safety North

Mining plants

Mining plants include mills, blast furnaces, smelters and refineries.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the OHSA.
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017, the most common orders issued under the OHSA were for violations of employer duties, including:

• the general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker [clause 25(2)(h)]
• the general duty to ensure the equipment, materials and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b)] provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker [clause 25(2)(a)]
• the general duty to ensure the measures and procedures prescribed are carried out in the workplace [25(1)(c)]

Inspectors also wrote orders requiring the production of drawings, specifications, licence, document, record or report, and inspect, examine and copy the same [clause 54 (1)(c)].

Stop work orders were also common within the Mining Program. Stop work orders are issued by an inspector where the contravention of the act or the regulations endangers a worker [clause 57(6)(a)].

In addition, there were also a number of orders written under Regulation 854 concerning:

• installation of electrical equipment [section 155]
• a safe means of access to a workplace [section 46], and
• guarding or fencing of exposed moving parts [subsection 185(2)]

More information

• Workplace Safety North

Open pit mines and quarries

Open pit mines and quarries include surface operations that typically involve large-scale drilling, blasting, crushing, sizing and trucking.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the OHSA.
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, the most common orders issued under the OHSA were for violations of employer duties including:

• the duty to ensure the equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b)], and the duty to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker [clause 25(2)(a)], and
• including the general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker [clause 25(2)(h)]

Inspectors also wrote orders requiring the production of drawings, specifications, licence, document, record or report, and inspect, examine and copy the same [clause 54 (1)(c)].

Stop work orders were also common within the Mining Program. Stop work orders are issued by an inspector where the contravention of the act or the regulations endangers a worker [clause 57(6)(a)(b)].

In addition, there were also a number of orders written under Regulation 854 concerning:

• guarding on a conveyor of any pinch point that is or may become accessible [clause 196(2)(d)]
• guarding or fencing of exposed moving parts [subsection 185(2)]
• safe use of a motor vehicle [section 105], and
• electrical equipment installed, modified and operated in accordance with good electrical practices [section 155].

More information

• Workplace Safety North

Sand and gravel pits

Sand and gravel pits operations range in size from small open pits to large-scale operations with hundreds of pieces of mobile equipment. Typically, these operations do not involve blasting.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, the most common orders issued under the OHSA were for violations of employer duties, including:

• the duty to ensure that the equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b)] and
• the general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker [clause 25(2)(h)].

Stop work orders were also common within the Mining Program. Stop work orders are issued by an inspector where the contravention of the act or the regulations endangers a worker [clause 57(6)(a)(b)].

In addition, there were also a number of orders written under Regulation 854 concerning:

• guarding on a conveyor of any pinch point that is or may become accessible [clause 196(2)(d)]
• safe use of a motor vehicle [section 105], and
• the open side of a ramp haulage road in a surface mine shall be provided with a suitable protective barrier [section 116(2)]
• the guarding or fencing of exposed moving parts [subsection 185(2)]
• the requirement for work to be done in accordance with good electrical practices [section 155], and
• the requirement to provide a safe means of access to a workplace [subsection 46(1)].

More information

• Workplace Safety North

Oil and natural gas

Oil and natural gas extraction sites and facilities includes sites and facilities both on land and water.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the OHSA.
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data is subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 the most common orders issued under the OHSA included:

• the duty to provide information, instruction and supervision to a worker [clause 25(2)(a)], and the duty to ensure that the equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b))]

More information

• Workplace Safety North

Diamond drilling

Mineral exploration sites include surface operations that typically involve diamond drilling and bulk sampling to determine ore reserve potential.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the OHSA.
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data is subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, the most common orders issued under the OHSA were for violations of employer duties, including the general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker [clause 25(2)(h)], the duty to ensure that the equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b))], and stop work orders issued where the contravention of the act or the regulations endangered a worker [clause 57(6)(a)].

In addition, there were also orders written under Regulation 854 concerning:

• the employers responsibility to establish and maintain components of the underground Diamond Driller training program, and
• the guarding or fencing of exposed moving parts [subsection 185(2)]

More information

• Workplace Safety North

Not elsewhere classified/mining

These are events that have occurred in mining but may not provide enough information in the description to identify a subsector when entered into the Ministry of Labour reporting system. The data collected could be from various mining subsectors.

Trends

Notes:

• Only critical injury events reported to the ministry are included here.
• This represents data that was reported to the ministry and may not represent what actually occurred at the workplace.
• The critical injury numbers represent critical injuries reported to the ministry and not necessarily critical injuries as defined by the OHSA.
• Non-workers who are critically injured may also be included in the ministry’s data.
• The Ministry of Labour tracks and reports fatalities at workplaces covered by the OHSA. This excludes deaths from natural causes, deaths of non-workers at a workplace, suicides, deaths as a result of a criminal act or traffic accident (unless the OHSA is also implicated) and deaths from occupational exposures that occurred many years ago.
• Data subject to change because of inspectors’ updates to the database.

From April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017 the most common orders issued under the OHSA were for violations of employer duties, including the general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker [clause 25(2)(h)], the duty to ensure the equipment, materials, and protective devices provided by the employer are maintained in good condition [clause 25(1)(b)], and the duty to provide information, instruction, and supervision to a worker to protect the health or safety of the worker.

In addition, there were also orders written under Regulation 854 concerning:

• electrical equipment shall be operated in accordance with good electrical practices [subsection 155(2)]
• the guarding or fencing of exposed moving parts [subsection 185(2)]
• the guarding of pinch points on a conveyor [subsection 196 (3.1)]
• the requirement to provide a safe means of access to a workplace [subsection 46(1)]

More information

• Workplace Safety North