LAW: Ontario mine safety updates to take effect

TORONTO – Ontario is ready to implement three recommendations to the Occupational Health and Safety Act made by the provincial Mining, Health, Safety and Prevention Review committee following the death of two workers at Vale’s Stobie nickel mine in June 2011. Three amendments will be made to modify Regulation 854. The first will strengthen existing requirements for water management and ground control. The second will require mines to conduct risk assessments and create formal traffic management programs. The third will update training requirements for surface diamond drillers to reflect changes to the modular training program. The three amendments will become law probably in February 2016. Until then they are open for consultation until January. Click here for detailed information. Additional changes are planned by mid-2016.