Zero mining deaths in BC

For the 12th consecutive year, there were no fatalities in the western Canadian mineral exploration sector in 2003, according to a report published by the British Columbia and Yukon Chamber of Mines.

Safety in Mineral Exploration in Western Canada, 1980-2003 states that the longest prior period without a fatality was 1984-1986.

The level of exploration activity in 2003 reached 40,968 person days (days worked per person over one year), which is the highest mark since 1997, when 45,292 person days were reported. The record was set in 1987 with 154,905 person days.

The accident frequency rate rose to 5.4 per 200,000 exposure hours, an increase from 1.2 last year, the lowest on record. In 1991, the highest year on record, there were 10.4 per 200,000 hours.

If the accident frequency rates for field personnel and drillers are calculated separately, the rate for drillers is 8.9 and the rate for geological field personnel is 3.6.

The severity of injury at lost work days per 200,000 hours of exposure for all personnel surveyed increased dramatically to 72 per 200,000 hours in 2003 from 4.8 in 2002.

The increase in the number of accidents in 2003 is attributed to a 50% increase in the level of activity in British Columbia and the Yukon, and the inclusion of data from drill contractors, whose work is often more dangerous (although in 2002, a British Columbia-based drilling contractor won the annual safety award after 21,600 person hours of work in exploration drilling without any lost time due to injury).

In 2003, two Vancouver-based major mining companies reported accident frequency rates for world-wide operations of 0.9 and 0.6 per 200,000 hours.

The following lost-time accidents were reported in 2003:

— seven slips and falls causing head, knee and back injuries (three of the accidents involved geologists or prospectors or assistants, whereas four involved drillers);

— a geologist was crushed by a rock that fell on top of him during a sampling program (he survived);

— a core-splitter contracted tendonitis and lost two days, owing to repetitive strain injury;

— a drill helper suffered an eye injury while chopping wood, even though he was wearing safety glasses; another helper suffered a crushed finger.