Kirkland Gold Corp. has been fined $100,000 for violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario after two workers were injured for in two separate 2009 accidents.
In February of that year, a worker was seriously injured when two trams collided in a tunnel at the mine. The company pleaded guilty for failing to supervise the implementation of its procedures for instances where one tram may meet another on a single track.
Later in August, a worker was injured when a loose rock fell when the worker was installing ground support in a drift at the mine's 4750-foot level.
The Ministry of Labour found the company failed to follow bolt patterns used to stabilize rock excavations as prescribed by the mine plan, and utilized bolts that were shorter than what was called for. The screening along the wall and the drift was also not properly cleared of loose rock, which further led to unsafe conditions. The company pleaded guilty for failing to ensure that ground conditions were examined for hazards before work began.
Kirkland Gold was fined $50,000 for each conviction by Justice of the Peace Michel Moreau by the Ontario Court of Justice in Kirkland Lake, Sept. 6.
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