This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.
Roy Slack, President of Ontario Mining Association member Cementation Canada, has been appointed to Ontario’s newly formed incident Prevention Council. This 11-member panel has been created to support Chief Prevention Officer George Gritziotis and advise the Minister of Labour Linda Jeffrey.
The Prevention Council is charged with the tasks of advising on the prevention of workplace injuries and illnesses, developing a provincial occupational health and safety strategy and proposing changes to funding and delivery of services to achieve accident prevention goals. The Prevention Council includes four employer representatives, four labour representatives, one non-union labour representative, an occupational health and safety expert and a representative from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.
“I think it is important that the North be represented and that mining has a seat at the table and I am pleased to be able to represent our industry,” said Mr. Slack. “The mining industry in Ontario has a lot to offer with regard to safety but we are still on our journey to zero harm, so we also have work to do.”
“I have always been committed to safety and within this forum I think I can contribute based on some of our successes in the mining industry and at the same time learn from other groups,” he added. “My own personal goal is to be an active participant. Ultimately the goal is to improve workplace safety in Ontario and I am sure everyone involved is committed to that goal as well.”
“This accomplished, dynamic group will work with the Chief Prevention Officer to help improve workplace health and safety throughout Ontario,” said Ms. Jeffrey. “Our ultimate and shared goal is to eliminate work-related injury and illness.”
“I am looking forward to working closely with these prevention leaders to develop and implement a province-wide occupational health and safety strategy that will lead ultimately to safer workplaces for all workers in Ontario,” said Mr. Gritziotis.
Cementation Canada was recognized as a top provider of apprenticeships in Northern Ontario recently at the annual Ontario Minister’s Awards for Apprenticeship Training. Cementation Canada has 17 employees involved in the company’s apprenticeship program in the mechanical and electrical fields in Ontario and an additional seven apprentices working on projects in other parts of Canada.
Cementation Canada is an underground mine contracting and engineering company. From its headquarters in North Bay, it does work across Canada and manages affiliated mine contracting companies operating in the United States and South America. The company is part of the global Cementation group with operations around the world, which is owned by South African construction company Murray & Roberts.