In the sometimes-dangerous business of mine development, Dan Dumas is determined to make sure his employees go home to their loved ones unscathed at the end of the day.

The president and CEO of Dumas Contracting, based out of Timmins, said safety is the most important thing in his business.

“Every incident report, whether it’s about a cut, bruise or something in your eye, comes across my desk. I take it all seriously,” he said.

“Our health and safety department is not mandated by profitability. They are mandated by making sure we provide a safe workplace for our employees. If they feel a specific workplace is unsafe, they have the authorization to shut the project down. I made it that way.”

The company has several guiding principles when it comes to worker health and safety, including the idea that employees should identify and correct all unsafe working conditions, compliance with legislative requirement and client standards and establishing clear roles and responsibilities.

It’s not surprising that Dumas takes the responsibility of keeping workers safe so personally. After all, his family has built Dumas Contracting from the ground up.

His father, Hubert Dumas, started the business in 1979. When Dan Dumas and his brother, Marc  took over the company in 1994, they had just five employees, including themselves. Back then, the company did less than $500,000 in business each year, and had no central office location.

“We really didn’t have much to speak of other than ourselves,” he said. “Those days were fun, actually, because we got to work underground. We were part of the crews. We worked with our guys.”

Fast forward to 2007, when high metal prices have led to unprecedented good times for all mining supply and service companies.

Dumas Contracting now employs 1,000 people and earns in excess of $150 million each year. The company has a 10,000-square foot main office and a 20,000 square foot mechanical and maintenance warehouse at two separate locations in Timmins.

The company does contract work for mines across northeastern Ontario and Northern Quebec, including Xstrata, CVRD Inco, Agnico Eagle, Mines Aurizon, Goldcorp, Hudbay Minerals, Crowflight Minerals and Liberty Mines, Rocmec and St. Andrew Goldfields.

“We do shaft sinking, mine tunnelling and raising. We also operate mines and do mine production,” said Dumas.

“If we’re doing shaft sinking, we’ll actually do all the site preparation and build all the surface infrastructure like headframes, conveyance systems and hoist systems.

“A lot of companies tend to shy away from complex and logistically challenging projects. We thrive on them. We’ll often look at something that has been done the same way for years and years, and we’ll come up with a new twist.”

There are many career opportunities at Dumas Contracting, including jobs for engineers, miners, mechanics, electricians, labourers, technicians, technologists and draftspeople. All of these employees earn excellent wages, said Dumas.

Mechanics and electricians earn at least $80,000 a year, miners $90,000, engineers $100,000 and superintendents $120,000. Underground workers also receive incentive bonuses based on completing projects on time.

“We also have great benefits packages. Everything from dental and health to long-term and short-term disability. The whole works,” he said. “We also have a retirement package for our staff.”

The company ensures that its staff are well trained, something which also goes back to health and safety regulations, said Dumas.