Mine safety review interim report in the works

More than 150 people participated in public consultations in Timmins, Kirkland Lake, Sudbury, Red Lake, Marathon and London.

The Ministry of Labour has also received more than 60 written submissions so far regarding health and safety in Ontario's mining sector.

The review was mandated to focus on six topics: the role of health and safety system partners; the internal responsibility system; technology and the management of change; training, skills and labour issues; health and safety hazards in the mining sector; and emergency preparedness and mine rescue.

The United Steelworkers and the Mining Inquiry Needs Everyone's Support (MINES) Committee pushed the government to review health and safety standards in the mining sector after the mining deaths of Jordan Fram and Jason Chenier, who were were killed in a run of muck at the 3,000-foot level of Vale's Stobbie Mine in Sudbury on June 8, 2011.

On Feb. 29, 2012, the United Steelworkers released a comprehensive report with 165 recommendations to ensure other miners would not face the same dangerous conditions that killed Fram and Chenier the year before.

The Steelworkers and the MINES Committee had asked for mining inquiry, but the government agreed to instead begin a tripartite review of the mining industry, chaired by public representatives, union leaders and industry representatives.

The review's final report will make recommendations to the Ministry of Labour on how to improve safety standards as they relate to the review's six topics of interest.