Mining Company Faces Occupational Health and Safety Charges

Service NL announced today that the Iron Ore Company of Canada has been charged with five violations of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations. The charges arose as the result of an investigation by the Occupational Health and Safety Branch into an incident which occurred at the Labrador City site in March 2010. The incident resulted in the death of one worker and the serious injury of another.

The two workers fell approximately 23 feet from a work platform that was being used to access spill chains. Spill chains are used to slow the speed of the ore as it flows from the crusher to the ore car. The five charges relate generally to the company’s alleged failure to ensure that adequate fall protection was in place, that lockout procedures were in effect, that equipment was capable of safely performing the functions for which it was intended, that workers and especially supervisors were made familiar with the hazards likely to be met, and that training, supervision and facilities necessary to ensure the workers’ safety were provided.

The company will make its first appearance in Provincial Court today in Wabush.

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Media contact:
Hugh Donnan
Director of Communications
Service NL
709-729-4860, 725-6511
hughdonnan@gov.nl.ca 

2012 02 23             9:15 a.m.