Sudbury District Dominates
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Issue #24 Summer 2014 Sudbury District dominates Vale East Mines, FNI’s Prevost earn honours at provincial n a taxing scenario that first challenged physical endurance, Iand then challenged mental acuity, mine rescue volunteers from Vale Canada Ltd.’s East Mines earned top place in the 64th annual Provincial Mine Rescue Competition in Timmins, in June. And while Vale took home gold hard hats as the overall team champions, Denis Prevost, mine rescue technician for First Nickel Inc.’s Lockerby Mine, won the award for top technician. Both had won the Sudbury District competition in May. The Vale East Mines team consisted Island Gold Mine and Mill, in their first winner, finished second, while Dan Rulli, of of Captain Lorne Plouffe, Will Davies, appearance in a provincial competition, CGC Inc.’s Hagersville mine, finished third. Justin Whitmore, Jonathan Hamilton, Fred won the Special Equipment Award for their St. Andrew Goldfields’ Lynn Bouchard Pelletier, Aime Gagne, Jean Yves Doiron, use of the GripTech rope system, and St. gained attention as the first woman Perry Simon and Briefing Officer Mike Andrew Goldfield won the Firefighting to captain a team in the provincial Johnson. The team also earned the First Award. competition, while Red Lake Gold Mine Aid Award. Barrick-Hemlo’s Denis Bilodeau, a top #2’s Heather Willis became the first Compass Minerals, Sifto Canada earned three finisher in the technician competition woman vice-captain in a provincial. runner-up honours. Richmont Mines, for the past four years, and last year’s See “Competitors” Page 5 The 2014 Winners Overall Winners Firefighting Team Award 1st – Vale Canada Ltd., East Mines St. Andrew Goldfields Ltd. 2nd – Compass Minerals, Sifto Canada First Aid Team Award Technician Award Vale Canada Ltd., East Mines 1st – Denis Prevost, First Nickel Inc., Lockerby Mine 2nd – Denis Bilodeau, Barrick-Hemlo Special Equipment Award 3rd – Dan Rulli, CGC Inc., Hagersville Mine Richmont Mines, Island Gold Mine and Mill P.O. Box 2050, Stn. Main We need you! 690 McKeown Ave. If you have comments about the newsletter, or suggestions for future North Bay, Ont. P1B 9P1 articles, please contact Ken Sitter PH: (705) 474-7233 at WSN, (705) 474-7233 ext. 234, or [email protected] FAX: (705) 472-5800 www.workplacesafetynorth.ca 2014 AWARD WINNERS First Overall Second Overall Vale East Mines Compass Minerals, Sifto Canada Technician Award Technician Award Technician Award 1st – Denis Prevost 2nd – Denis Bilodeau 3rd – Dan Rulli First Nickel Inc., Lockerby Barrick-Hemlo CGC Inc., Hagersville Firefighting Award First Aid Award St. Andrew Goldfields Vale East Mines Platinum Sponsors Gold Sponsors www.zetec.ca Special Equipment Award Richmont Mines, Island Gold Mine & Mill Competition Gallery For the full 2014 Provincial Competition Album, visit our website - www.workplacesafetynorth.ca/minerescue Pg 4 Prepared for the past 85 years Ontario Mine Rescue timeline reveals commitment he story of the origins of Ontario Mine Rescue in the 1984 – Falconbridge Mine rockburst claims four miners THollinger Gold Mine Fire, the tragic loss of 39 lives, and the – OMR volunteers rescue youth trapped in old, underground commitment by miners and mines to be prepared, is well-known workings in Timmins and often told. But each of the 85 years since has at least one or 1986 – Goderich Mine methane explosion in Goderich more, less well-known stories about mine rescue in Ontario, and – Ontario Mine Rescue team wins national mine rescue the commitment of OMR and its members to be prepared. competition in British Columbia 1929 – Ontario Mine – Stevenson inquiry expands the scope of Ontario Mine Rescue established Rescue to emergency response – First Mine Rescue 1987 – Manitouwadge Mine Rescue Station re-opens Station opens in – Thunder Bay Mine Rescue Station closes Timmins – Malcolm Smith appointed Senior Mine Rescue Officer – Austin Neame 1989 – Delaware Mine Rescue Station opens appointed first Mine Rescue Officer 1990 – Campbell Mine fire in Red Lake 1930 – Kirkland Lake Mine 1993 – Macassa Mine rockburst in Kirkland Lake Rescue Station 1997 – Second Macassa Mine rockburst in Kirkland Lake opens 2000 – Campbell Mine rockburst in Red Lake – First edition of the – Battle Mountain Gold wins 50th annual Provincial Mine OMR Handbook Rescue Competition printed 2001 – Responsibility for Ontario Mine Rescue transferred 1931 – Sudbury Mine Rescue Station opens to Mines and 1947 – East Malartic Mine fire in Que. leads to standardized Aggregates Safety equipment and training and Health – Geraldton Mine Rescue Station opens Association (MASHA) – Percy Smith appointed Senior Mine Rescue Officer – Alex Gryska 1948 – Red Lake Mine Rescue Station opens appointed Manager 1950 – Pamour Porcupine Mines Ltd. wins first Provincial Mine of Mine Rescue Rescue Competition 2002 – Campbell Mine 1953 – Cobalt Mine Rescue Station opens methane explosion 1955 – George McPhail appointed Senior Mine Rescue Officer in Red Lake 1957 – Management/Supervisory Mine Rescue Course introduced – Charlie Burton 1958 – Ron Eveson opens Elliot Lake Mine Rescue Station appointed Supervisor 1965 – Mine rescuers battle week-long McIntyre Mine fire in of Mine Rescue Timmins 2003 – Kidd Creek Mine 1966 – BG174 selected as fire in Timmins standard breathing 2004 – BG4 replaces the BG174 as standard breathing apparatus apparatus – Thunder Bay Mine Rescue Station re-opens 1968 – John Guthrie opens – Provincial Mine Rescue Competition held underground Onaping Mine for the first time at NORCAT’s Fecunis Mine Rescue Station 2005 – Ontario Mine Rescue’s newsletter, The Link Line, begins 1973 – Tenth edition of the publication OMR handbook 2010 – OMR and MASHA incorporated into Workplace Safety printed North 1977 – Geraldton Mine – Porcupine Gold Mine Rescue Station win the 60th annual closes Provincial Mine – Cobalt Mine Rescue Rescue Competition Station closes in Timmins – Manitouwadge Mine Rescue Station opens 2011 – Goderich tornado – Ron Eveson appointed Senior Mine Rescue Officer strikes Sifto Canada 1978 – First woman, Cynthia Cameron, qualifies as a mine rescuer Mine 1979 – Provincial Mine Rescue Competitions centralized for first 2013 – MX6 iBrid selected time in approximately 20 years in Timmins as standard mine gas 1981 – Conveyor fire burns for 60 hours at Denison Mine in detection unit Elliot Lake – ‘Prepared since 1929’ 1982 – Manitouwadge Mine Rescue Station closes becomes OMR’s – Thunder Bay Mine Rescue Station opens official motto Pg 5 Competitors challenged by scenario Continued from page 1 In the closing banquet, Jeff Sowerby, a mine rescue volunteer at Compass Mineral’s Sifto Salt Mine in Goderich, was honoured for 30 years of service to Ontario Mine Rescue (See story Page 7). The seven competing teams from across Ontario were challenged from the start of the simulated emergency underground at Goldcorp Canada’s Dome Mine. Advised of reports of smoke and missing miners on the 2,400 level, teams could only use the hoist to the 2,300 level because a fall of ground blocked access to the 2,400 level from the hoist. On reaching the 2,300 level, the five-member teams had to proceed Thunder Bay/Algoma along a narrow drift to a raise, lower their equipment and descend a vertical distance of 150 feet using the GripTech teams wear their pride system, an exercise that took teams an Mine rescuers wear their pride, says hour or more to complete. Gilbert Wahl, director of safety and security Once on the 2,400 level, teams at Wesdome Gold Mines Ltd.’s Eagle River explored for the source of the smoke, Mine, and mine rescuers in the Thunder extinguished a scoop fire, provided first Bay/Algoma district now wear more of aid to a miner suffering a leg injury, and their pride – an additional badge on their rescued a second miner whose arm was coveralls that indicates their district. trapped beneath a large tire. “It’s a pride thing. Your whole pride While teams worked through the is written all over you,” says Wahl, who scenario, a sixth member was assessed represents the district on Ontario Mine in a separate location on using the foam Rescue’s Technical Advisory Committee. generator and lifting bags. Mine rescuers’ coveralls and hard hats Competing mine rescue teams indicate mine rescue, usually Ontario Mine represented Compass Mineral, Rescue, as well as their company and/or (Southern District); Goldcorp their mine, and often a Canadian flag or Though the badge made its first district Canada, Red Lake Gold Mine #2 a red maple leaf. A district badge belongs appearance this May, it actually debuted (Red Lake District); Richmont Mines there as well, he says. at last year’s provincial competition when (Thunder Bay/Algoma District); Kidd “We’re proud of our district.” Operations, a Glencore Company it was worn by the Wesdome team. This The idea originated several years ago (Timmins District); St. Andrew year’s district representatives, Richmont at a district co-ordinators’ meeting, and Goldfield Ltd. (Kirkland Lake District); Mines, wore it at the provincial competition, it was agreed to hold a competition, won Sudbury INO, a Glencore Company and Wahl believes the badge will become by Dalton Beaudet, a long hole planner at (Onaping District); and Vale, East a permanent part of the garment for Wesdome. Mines (Sudbury District). Thunder Bay/Algoma teams. The design on an approximately three- This year’s competition was co- “It’s good,” says Wahl, adding that should inch diameter circular badge incorporates a hosted by: Goldcorp Canada; Kidd other districts follow suit, exchanging portion of the Ontario Mine Rescue logo, a Operations, a Glencore Company; Lake red maple leaf, three Great Lakes (Superior, mine rescue badges could be as common Shore Gold; and Dumas. The event Michigan and Huron), and a headframe. as exchanging caps at competitions. Scout was sponsored by: Drager Safety; Kidd The Thunder Bay area or subdistrict is groups, police services, fire departments and Operations, a Glencore Company; indicated in orange, and Algoma in yellow.