Seven mine rescue teams from across Ontario will test their emergency response knowledge and skills in the 67th annual Provincial Mine Rescue Competition at the NORCAT Underground Centre (the former Fecunis Mine) in Levack, near Sudbury, Thursday and Friday, June 9 and 10.
The competition organized by Ontario Mine Rescue, a part of Workplace Safety North, will test the teams’ knowledge, firefighting skills, first aid response, use of emergency equipment and decision-making ability under stress in a simulated underground emergency.
The winner of the competition will have the opportunity to represent Ontario and Canada at the International Mines Rescue Competition 2016 – Canada in Sudbury this August (see www.IMRC 2016.ca).
The public and media are welcome to attend the competition, which will start at 6 a.m. each day. Visitors, including the media, are asked not to share competition details, photos and video until the competition ends, approximately 6 p.m. Friday, June 10.
Competing mine rescue teams, each winner of their respective district competition, are:
• Compass Mineral, Goderich Mine (Southern District)
• Goldcorp Canada, Red Lake Gold Mines (Red Lake District)
• North American Palladium, Lac des Iles Mine (Thunder Bay/Algoma District)
• Lake Shore Gold (Timmins District)
• Alamos Gold Inc., Young-Davidson Mine (Kirkland Lake District)
• Sudbury INO, a Glencore Company (Onaping District)
• Vale Canada Ltd., West Mines (Sudbury District).
Mine rescue competitions, which started in 1950, are as much intensive learning opportunities as a chance to test emergency response capabilities. The competitions ensure that mine rescue volunteers across the province are trained to the same high standards.
Mine rescue team members, the backbone of Ontario Mine Rescue, are volunteer mine workers trained by Mine Rescue Officers to respond to all types of mine emergencies including fires, explosions and falls of ground.
Under the authority of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and headquartered in Sudbury, Ontario Mine Rescue staffs, equips and maintains a network of mine rescue stations across the province that ensure mines within a specified geographic area have adequate emergency response capability.
This year’s competition is co-hosted by: Vale Canada Ltd., Glencore’s Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operation, and KGHM. The event is sponsored by: Drager Safety; Fountain Tire; NORCAT; Day Group; Northern Medical Supply; Code 4 Fire and Rescue; Lake Shore Gold; Technica Mining; Zetec; SPI Health and Safety; Dumas Contracting Ltd.; DMC Mining Services; MSA; Acklands Grainger/Industrial Scientific; Levitt Safety; Honeywell; North American Palladium – Lac des Iles Mine; Vallen; Pelican Products Inc.; Rocvent Inc.; Interconcrete Ltd.; and Miller Technology.
Workplace Safety North provides products and services to promote workplace health and safety in the mining, forestry, and paper, printing and converting industries, as well as workplaces across Ontario.
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ken Sitter
Workplace Safety North
kensitter@workplacesafetynorth.ca
1-888-730-7821 ext. 234
www.workplacesafetynorth.ca/minerescue
www.workplacesafetynorth.ca