MAY 2017                                                             FRANÇAIS
MINE RESCUE COMPETITION 
TURNS 60
JOIN US: SATURDAY, JUNE 10 IN YELLOWKNIFE

Yellowknife, get ready to #GEARUP: the annual Mine Rescue Competition is in its 60th year, and it's coming up on Saturday, June 10th! If you are looking for some outdoor fun and excitement, look no further: eight mine rescue teams from seven mines across the North will be showcasing their mine rescue techniques and emergency response skills as they compete for the Overall Surface and Overall Underground Trophies.

THE DETAILS


Date: Saturday, June 10th

Time: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM MST

Where: Yellowknife Multiplex/Fieldhouse parking lot (41 Kam Lake Road)

This family-friendly event gives spectators a chance to watch teams from across the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and beyond demonstrate their mine safety techniques in various skill-testing competitions. The NWT & Nunavut Chamber of Mines will also host their annual Miner's Picnic, with a free BBQ and refreshments for all. This year, the teams are:

Surface Teams
  • Ekati Diamond Mine - Dominion Diamond Corporation
  • Gahcho Kué Diamond Mine - De Beers Canada Inc.
  • Meadowbank Gold Mine - Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
  • Victor Diamond Mine (Ontario) - De Beers Canada Inc.
Underground Teams
  • Diavik Diamond Mine - Rio Tinto Ltd.
  • Ekati Diamond Mine - Dominion Diamond Corporation
  • Hope Bay Gold Mine - TMAC Resources Inc.
  • Meliadine Gold Project - Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd.
WHY ARE MINE RESCUE COMPETITIONS IMPORTANT?

In addition to fostering friendly competition, mine rescue competitions are critical as mines can come together to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and quality of their mine rescue training programs. Mine rescue competitions allow teams to learn from one another, share best practices and new industry equipment, and over time help keep workers safe. If disaster strikes, a skilled mine rescue team is everyone's best chance for safety and survival.

IT MAY BE 60 YEARS IN THE NORTH, BUT...

Organized mine rescue has been around for almost as long as 20th century mines have been operational. In the History of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Mine Rescue Program, Yellowknife historian Ryan Silke shared that the first mine rescue training station was opened in England by W.E. Garforth in 1904, and in Canada by Dominion Coal Company in 1907 or 1908 - in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

In the North, despite several mining accidents and reported deaths in the early years, a formal mine rescue program was not started until after World War II, when the NWT Safety Council was created in 1947. It was this Safety Council that purchased the first mine rescue gear and drafted the first NWT Mine Safety Act in 1947-48, standardizing all operations for northern mines.

By 1950, the Safety Council succeeded in completing the first mine rescue station in Yellowknife. By 1951, classes for mine rescue and first aid training were up and running, and open to all mine employees. However, it was not until 1955 that the mines began to organize teams for first aid competitions. These first aid competitions eventually merged with mine rescue competitions, leading to the first official mine rescue competition in 1957.

Since Giant Mine's victory at the first mine rescue competition in 1957, mines from all over the North send teams to compete at each year's mine rescue competition. Join us for the 60th year on Saturday, June 10th from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM to discover who will take home the trophies for 2017!

For more information on the upcoming event, visit our Mine Rescue Competition page. We hope to see you there!
CONSTRUCTION SEASON HAS BEGUN
DRIVE SLOWLY. USE CAUTION.

Due to the shorter summer months here in the North, we don't waste any time when it comes to construction season. By now, we're sure you've noticed that construction projects have started up wherever you live. Depending on your role, here are some general rules to follow.

If you are a DRIVER:
  • Pay attention to summer construction notices from your city officials.
  • Plan ahead to factor in traffic delays, and watch for road signs.
  • Slow down in construction zones.
  • Be respectful of Traffic Control Personnel (TCP) performing traffic control and flagging duties at work sites.
If you are an EMPLOYER and your job site will affect roadways:
  • Before the job begins, develop and implement a written Traffic Control Plan to protect your workers from traffic hazards.
  • Identify and use traffic control methods at the job site, such as: warning signs; barriers; pylons; flashing lights; and Traffic Control Personnel (TCP) to direct traffic.
  • Ensure your Traffic Control Personnel (TCP) are trained and have read and understood the Traffic Control Plan.
  • Ensure your Traffic Control Personnel (TCP) wear high-visibility vests and other high-visibility clothing.
  • Give each of your workers a Flagperson's Incident Report Logbook to record incidents.  Ask us if you need more for your job site.
        

If you are a TRAFFIC CONTROL PERSON or FLAGPERSON:
  • Know the type of work being performed at the job site, how roadways will be affected, and how public traffic will flow.
  • Wear high-visibility clothing and vests, and other personal protective equipment (PPE) as necessary.
  • Give clear instructions to drivers. Avoid arguments or discussions with motorists; direct them to the site supervisor if motorists become abusive.
  • Pay attention to speeding drivers and potentially dangerous situations. Know your job site's emergency plans.
  • Keep a logbook to record incidents, and report all dangerous situations to the supervisor. Use our Flagperson's Incident Report Logbook - contact us for more.
REMINDER: NOW LIVE
NEW EMPLOYER'S REPORT OF INCIDENT FORM

The new Employer's Report of Incident form is now live! As outlined in last month's issue of SafetyNet, we now have a new way for employers to report any workplace incidents. For your convenience, this new form replaces three previous forms: the Accident Causing Serious Bodily Injury form; the Dangerous Occurrence form; and the current Employer's Report of Injury form.

The new Employer's Report of Incident form is a fillable form that can be submitted electronically. If you are only reporting a dangerous occurrence, you only need to complete page 1 of the form.

Employers must submit the fully-completed incident report within three business days, or will incur penalties as listed in the Workers' Compensation Acts. Please note that to report an accident causing serious bodily injury or a dangerous occurrence, you must call the 24-hour Incident Reporting line at 1-800-661-0792 as soon as is reasonably possible and complete and submit this form within three business days.

Submit your forms to:
If you have any old hyperlinks or PDFs of forms saved to your computer, please ensure you update them.

      
REMEMBER TO REPORT UNSAFE WORK
IF YOU WITNESS IT, REPORT IT.

Now that we are finally entering the summer months, you will notice more and more work taking place outdoors. The Internal Responsibility System (IRS) tells us that safety is everyone's responsibility; it is our duty to each other to keep everyone safe. If you see any unsafe acts or conditions, or worksite hazards, report it. Do you see someone working on a rooftop without a harness? Report it. Notice a lone worker clearing brush and trees from a power line right-of-way without a second worker or supervisor nearby? Report it.

Do not shy away from reporting unsafe work anytime you encounter or witness a hazardous situation in your community. Remember that we have an anonymous Report Unsafe Work e-service within WSCC Connect. To access it, go to WSCC Connect, hover over the Occupational Health and Services tab, and click on Report Unsafe Work.

If you are at work, however, do not forget that as a worker, your first responsibility when witnessing unsafe work in your workplace is to report the situation to your supervisor. Together, you and your supervisor can assess the hazardous condition and if unresolved, then take the next step of reporting it through the Report Unsafe Work e-service.
OFFICE CLOSURES

WSCC's Yellowknife and Inuvik offices are closed from 5:00 PM on Tuesday, June 20 for Aboriginal Day, and reopen on Thursday, June 22 at 8:30 AM.

To report a serious workplace injury or incident, call 1-800-661-0792.
This information will soon be available in Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun on our website.

wscc.nt.ca   /  1.800.661.0792   *   wscc.nu.ca  /  1.877.404.4407