2007 NAALC - Panel 1_MOL1 John Vergunst – Mining Engineer – Ontario Ministry of Labour

2007 NAALC - Panel 1_MOL 1

John Vergunst – Mining Engineer – Ontario Ministry of Labour


This presentation will focus on:

• New Ministry Initiatives – in particular “high risk” employers.

• Statistics to support key (new) Mining Initiatives

• An audit tool for the internal responsibility system

• Internet one-stop gateway for all Ontario mining regulation & permitting


Ministry of Labour Priorities 2004 -

2008 Ministry of Labour supports the government priority of Strong People, Strong Economy, and a competitive business environment that will attract jobs and investment, and provide modern efficient public services through it’s four key priorities:

1. Making Workplaces Safer and Healthier – to reduce the overall lost-time injury rate by 20 % by 2008

(LTI rate dropping from 2.2 per 100 workers (03/04) to 1.8 per 100 workers (07/08) “High Risk / Last Chance Initiative”

– to work together with the occupational health and safety system partners and strengthen integration of partnership efforts towards improvements on an even wider scale.


2. Protecting Vulnerable Workers – to improve knowledge of rights and

responsibilities, increase compliance through enforcement and streamline internal processes to put money into the hands of employees faster.

3. Restoring Balance to labour relations, increasing productivity and making workplaces fairer for all

4. Strengthening Ontario’s economic advantage through strategic internal and external partnerships

These priorities apply to all sectors: industrial, health care, construction and mining

MOL Priorities (cont’d)


Ministry of Labour - Organization

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GIO

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SAFE WORK ASSOCIATIONS

Funded by WSIB

AGENCIES

MINISTER


Ministry of Labour - Organization

Regional Director

Corporate Services

Regional Coordinators • Employment Standards• Industrial• Construction • Mining

District Managers

Employment Standards

Industrial Inspectors

Construction Inspectors

Mining Inspectors

Engineers, Hygienists, Ergonomists


• Vision of Ontario’s health and safety system of eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses is achieved through:

– Ministry of Labour’s mandate of setting, communicating and enforcing the Occupational Health and Safety Act and related Regulations.

– The WSIB's prevention goals include developing information, programs to help employers build healthy and safe workplaces

– Health and Safety Associations provide employers with specific health and safety information and assistance.

• The “high risk, last chance” strategy was built on principles of maximum alignment of resources and on a risk assessment methodology, implemented through the network of the Occupational Health and Safety Council of Ontario

Making Workplaces Safer and Healthier


How does it work? “high risk/last chance” Four year strategy

• all Occupational Health and Safety partners play a role:

–Ministry of Labour

–WSIB

–12 Safe Workplace Associations

– Institute for Work and Health

• Firms are selected through a formalized Ontario government risk-based methodology to better manage the high risk areas (risk assessment framework is common to all regulatory ministries).



FOCUS resources based on high risk framework • Severity of injuries• Number of injuries• Identify 2% of highest risk firms from each sector (6 000 firms account for 20% of LTI’s – all sectors ~ 6.5 million workers)• Compare relative to other firms in sector

• Musculoskeletal Disorders campaign (>42% of injuries)

MITIGATE through effective strategies & wise use of resources• Enhanced enforcement for high risk firms• Proactive assistance offered by Heath & Safety Associations to motivate workplaces to achieve compliance & build sustainable workplace self-reliance

MEASURE whether efforts make a difference




Number of Fatal Injuries in Ontario Mining Industry

1892 - 2006

YEAR



Number of Fatal Injuries in Mining

Includes, contractors, diamond drillers, pits & quarries, refineries, mills

~ 15,000 workers



LTI per 200,000 employee hours

All mining sectors


Violence in the Workplace• enhanced enforcement at workplaces where the risk is high• awareness & education program (on MOL & WSIB website) • partnership with safety associations & related ministries on prevention and victim services

Health Care Strategy• inspectors trained in health care issues, • infection control, pandemic influenza preparedness, PPE, safety engineered medical devices

Young Workers and Future Leaders• Educational resources for teachers, websites

• Pilot for post-secondary OHS learning program

FarmingService Delivery Improvement

Other MOL Key

Initiatives


Key Initiatives in MiningLoose Control

- 1996 – 2004: 4 fatal & 9 critical injuries- 1998 – 2003: 87 medical aids & 8 LTI scaling- Average of 517 reports per year of falls of ground

Vehicle Safety (2002 – 1952 diesel units UG)

- 1989 – Mar 2007: Remote control: 4 fatal, 4 critical, 10 close calls

- 2006: 5 run-away vehicles on ramps (brakes) 7 vehicle collisions 2 serious incidents (steering failed, broken axel) 34 fires – mostly vehicle fires, electrical wiring, fuel spills, broken hoses


Key Initiatives in MiningFall Prevention

- Most serious hazard in most sectors (2000 – 2003: 71 fatals, 20,857 LTI)- 2004 – 2006: 3 fatal injuries in mining

Occupational Health (2004 WSIB – accepted claim data)- 76 nonfatal disease claims (white hand, musculoskeletal disorders, etc)- 30 fatal disease claims (lung cancer, silicosis, etc)- 166 noise induced hearing loss claims Ergonomic Hazards - musculoskeletal disorders campaign (>42% of injuries) – strains & sprains- vehicle seating, vibration & visibility


Key Initiatives in MiningAdequate Worker Training

- Many of injuries in the mining initiatives may have been prevented to better worker understanding of the hazards, initial training along with planned job observations

(examples: scaling, pre-operational vehicle checks, fallprevention, and avoidance of musculoskeletal injuries)

- mandatory training requirements do not cover all situations

- most employers do a good job in the mandatory “common core” or initial training of the worker in the job task.

Regular Initiatives in Mining- Machine guarding, hoisting plants, explosives, emergency

prepardedness, ventilation, IRS


IRS – Internal Responsibility System

• Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (1980) is based on the Internal Responsibility System

• The Act assigns roles and responsibilities to all workplace parties.

• The IRS is based on the principal that every individual in the workplace is responsible for health and safety. That includes CEO, executives, managers, supervisors and workers.

• IRS is not a substitute for planned workplace inspections aimed at ensuring compliance with health and safety legislation

• The IRS will only work given the willingness of management and workers


IRS – Internal Responsibility System

• In 2000 a Steering Committee formed: labour, industry and intergovernmental agency representatives

• clear description of IRS developed

• Description of roles & responsibilities for workplace parties with: – direct responsibility– contributive responsibility

• Audit tool developed and tested at 8 mines

• Direct correlation between healthy IRS and health and safety performance

• Results posted on Ministry website http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/hs/mining/syn_minirs_4.html



Service Delivery Improvement

MOL Web Gateway

One integrated web site for all health & safety information: http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/

Regulations, Duties & responsibilities, Workplace hazards, Resources available, etc

Mineral Exploration & Mining Ontario

One web site for all mining laws, staking, operating, closurehttp://www.ServiceOntario.ca/mining


MOL Web Gateway


MOL Web Gateway



Mineral Exploration & Mining Ontario

“An internet gateway to permitting for mining”• Mining regulations• Staking• Studies required• Health & safety • Notifications • Permit application• Aggregates • Etc


Documents

2007 NAALC - Panel 1_MOL1 John Vergunst – Mining Engineer – Ontario Ministry of Labour