Hudson Bay Mining wins rescue competition

Mine rescue personnel from the Flin Flon division of Hudson Bay Mining & Smelting have won the 1995 Manitoba mine rescue competition. The Thompson mine rescue team, representing Inco, was runner-up.

Five Manitoba companies competed in the recent mine rescue competition, an annual event. Each team had to plan and activate a mine rescue in response to a mock emergency in which four mine workers were unaccounted for after thick smoke was discovered in a portion of a mine.

Non-toxic theatrical smoke was used to simulate thick, acrid smoke. The teams were judged on their ability to complete the rescue within two hours in the most efficient, safe and logical manner.

This year’s competition was held 240 meters below the earth’s surface in AECL’s underground research laboratory near Lac du Bonnet. This was the first year the competition was held in an underground environment. Video cameras enabled the audience on surface to watch the teams in action.

This year’s competition was jointly hosted by AECL and Tantalum Mining.

The Mines Accident Prevention Association of Manitoba and the Manitoba Department of Workplace, Health and Safety developed the mock emergency scenario.