By Ryan Pilon

Safety procedures implemented at mining companies

Apr 10, 2011 | 11:56 AM

New safety procedures have been implemented at a mine in Northern Saskatchewan after a worker was trapped for nearly eight hours.

The incident occurred at the Jolu Mine, a Golden Band Resources gold mine about an hour north of La Ronge, on Jan. 18.

Rocky Arsenault, from Nipawin, was working in the crushing room when he became trapped between a rock and a machine.

Gary Haywood, vice-president of operations with Golden Band Resources, said Arsenault climbed into what is considered a confined space.

“I think he’s learned a lesson in safety, risk analysis and hazard identification,” said Haywood.

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However, he said Arsenault cannot be the only one to blame, as the company has to shoulder some of the responsibility as well.

“I think there are things we could have done better… there was a lot of confusion about supervision and those sorts of things. And also, you know, we didn’t have some of the procedures in place we should have. Certainly the confined space entry procedures and training could have been done better, and there’s always room for improvement as far as I’m concerned,” said Haywood.

“I think it was a lesson learned for us that we cannot take things for granted, that people don’t know everything, and you have to have your training and procedures in place.”

Haywood said they received a contravention from the mine’s inspection branch, making sure they had a process of converting their job hazard analysis into procedures.

“The basic premise of it is that any jobs that are non-routine require a job hazard analysis before that job is started,” said Haywood.

Haywood said they will also be training operators on how to properly do a job hazard analysis, and will have a trainer on-site to make sure all operators are trained on procedures.

Haywood said Arsenault has since returned to work.

rpilon@panow.com