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Province conducting underground mine safety blitz

A provincewide safety blitz by the Ministry of Labour is being conducted on hoisting plants in underground mines.

A provincewide safety blitz by the Ministry of Labour is being conducted on hoisting plants in underground mines.

Through February, inspectors will visit and inspect underground mines to ensure hoisting plants have proper locking and tagging procedures in place to protect workers and help keep them safe.

Hoisting plants, which carry miners, materials, and equipment from the surface and underground in mines, will be checked to ensure safety measures are in place when performing repairs or other work to hoisting equipment, written procedures are in place for locking and tagging, and workers are trained on various lockout devices and personal protective equipment needed when working on electrical equipment.

Thirteen blitzes focused on the mining sector have been conducted in the past five years, including two in the past nine months. This most recent blitz comes following the recent announcement the province would conduct a mining safety review.

Ontario has about 40 underground mines, employing about 25,000 workers. Most mines are located in Northern Ontario.