Another Mining Company Fined $130,000 for Two Safety Incidents

A mining company was fined a total of $130,000 for two separate safety incidents. In the first, a worker at the company’s metal precipitation plant slipped on a chemical (floculante) and fell, suffering broken bones. The company pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a safe means of access and was fined $60,000. In the second case, three workers were conducting repair and maintenance on an ore crusher in an area of the mill where a cyanide solution tank was located. One worker inadvertently stepped into a hole that wasn’t visible because the area was covered with a few inches of dirty water. The hole contained water, sodium cyanide and sodium hydroxide. His boot filled with the liquid, causing cyanide poisoning and chemical burns. The court found that the company failed to have an alarm installed to warn workers of the presence of poisonous cyanide gas and fined it $70,000 [Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd., Govt. News Release, Sept. 18, 2013].