A worker was injured while removing an extra power cable from the wall of a mine shaft at the Victoria Mine, about 35 kilometres west of Sudbury. The employer was fined $135,000 under the general duty to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances.
What Happened
On October 22, 2024, a worker for DMC Mining Services Ltd. was removing an extra power cable from the wall of a mine shaft at the Victoria Mine, approximately 35 kilometres west of Sudbury. The worker was injured.
The company pleaded guilty in Sudbury Provincial Offences Court and was fined $135,000 plus a 25% victim fine surcharge under Section 25(2)(h) of the OHSA.
What the Law Says
Section 25(2)(h) OHSA: "An employer shall take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker."
Basically, what this means is simple: removing cable from a shaft wall carries hazards an employer is expected to identify and control before anyone starts. Section 25(2)(h) is the duty to do that.
Three Things This Case Teaches Ontario Mining Employers
- Cable and rope handling in shafts and other confined workings requires a written, task-specific safe-work procedure. Worker positioning relative to the load must be explicitly addressed.
- The removal sequence matters. Decide it before the shift, not at the wall. If your procedure does not specify the sequence, workers will improvise, and improvisation around heavy cable in a shaft creates hazards nobody planned for.
- Cable holds energy and cable moves. A length being freed from a wall can shift or drop when it comes loose. Plan where people stand, and plan where the cable is allowed to go.
If your mine crews handle cable or rope in shafts, raise bores, or elevated workings, review your safe-work procedures for this specific hazard. The full analysis is in the WorkSafe Sounds article linked above.