Enviable Ontario safety record enviable injury rate

Ontario’s Mining Week, June 1-7, was overshadowed by the explosion at the Westray coal mine of Curragh Inc. in Nova Scotia that killed 26 miners a month earlier. The disaster focused attention on Ontario’s own safety record.

“Only workers in health care and pulp and paper have lower rates of work-related injuries and illnesses,” Ron Ellis said on behalf of the Mines Accident Prevention Association of Ontario (MAPAO). “Ontario has the lowest injury rate of any mining sector in Canada.”

Dave Mellor, labor’s representative on the MAPAO board, and a member of the United Steelworkers union, gave much of the credit to organized labor. He said the labor movement has pressed government for better legislation. And labor contracts also stress more worker training and the appointment of full-time worker safety representatives, he said.

Ellis, a mine manager, cited advances in technology and industry’s concerted effort to make the workplace a safer one.

Though not highlighted by either speaker, Ontario’s enviable safety record was helped by a 20% decline in the mining industry’s payroll during 1991. The decline was a result of slack metal markets.