The Ministry of Labour issued six more work orders to Vale in a month that has seen the mining company faced with 96 orders to address issues at its Copper Cliff North Mine and Coleman Mine in Sudbury.
“Vale has complied or is in the process of complying with all orders received from the Ministry of Labour,” Vale spokesperson Danica Pagnutti said in an email to Sudbury.com.
The ministry issued six orders on Oct. 11, regarding issues with Vale's Copper Cliff North Mine.
The orders were:
- Maintain equipment, materials and protective devices in good condition (wood guides)
- Maintain equipment, materials and protective devices in good condition (electrical)
- Maintain equipment, materials and protective devices in good condition (electrical)
- Properly support electrical cables to meet requirements of Ontario Electrical Safety Codes
- Take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker
- Meet requirements for providing audible and clear signals
On Oct. 7, inspectors with the Ministry of Labour issued 39 orders – including four stop work orders – after touring the Copper Cliff North Mine.
The ministry required Vale to address the four stop-work orders before the company could resume production at the mine.
Those orders were for maintaining equipment in good condition; maintaining a protective device in good condition, including guarding and safety stops; assessing the structural integrity of a particular area of the mine; and replacing side wall liners along with providing locking devices for feeder gates.
On Oct. 12, the Ministry of Labour issued an additional 23 orders, including three stop work orders, related to Vale's Coleman Mine operations.
The stop work orders required Vale to meet requirements for barricades, fencing and signs.
Vale was also issued stop work orders to examine unsupported ground conditions and to address issues with guarding.
The 23 orders the ministry issued on Oct. 12 were in addition to 24 work orders an inspector made after a Sept. 29 tour of Coleman Mine following an anonymous complaint from a worker.
Meanwhile, Sudbury.com has reached out to United Steelworkers Local 6500 representatives to speak about the work orders, but the union has not respond to numerous requests for comment.
