HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 2009-07-29, Page 1I Hit\ 4 (,/fordable!
Week 30
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Fond farewell
■ The Goderich Laketown
Band said so -long to a few
members during their
Sunday evening
performance
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Sent �U#� Into
Armed robbery
■ The Bank of Montreal was
the targeted last week as a
man robbed the financial
institution in broad daylight.
The suspect was quickly
apprehended P9. 2
Photo by Dominique Milburn
Ontario Minister of Labour Peter Fonseca (centre) joined Mine Manager Rowland Howe, Huron -Bruce MPP Carol Mitchell, Compass
Minerals CEO Angelo Brisimitzakis and Goderich Mayor Deb Shewfelt for an inside look the underground facility. Fonseca was in town
last week to announce an upcoming Ontario safety blitz that will focus on electrical hazards in mining'operations. Fonseca said Goderich
was chosen to make the announcement because of its model health and safety practices.
Labour Minister visits Goderich Mine
Dominique Milburn
signal -star staff
Emerging from the depths of
the world's largest rock salt mine,
Ontario Minister of Labour Peter
Fonseca stood before a gathering of
workers and said, "what a remark-
able experience I just had."
One year after the launch of the
provincial Safe At Work Ontario
(SAWO) strategy, Fonseca stopped
by the Goderich Mine to announce
that during the month of September,
inspection will focus on hazards in-
volving energized electrical equip-
ment at mining operations across
the province.
Sifto Salt was chosen by the Min-
istry as the location to announce the
new spotlight on electrical safety in
dirmirnawal
1.877.484.9433
www.csbletv.on.ca
ev
mining operations due to its "ex-
emplary" safety record. This Sep-
tember, health and safety inspec-
tors will focus on electrical hazards
involved in the mining industry in
and effort to prevent workplace in-
jury and death. Part of the Ministry's
ongoing SAWO campaign, the new
underground safety blitz will target
mines and mining operations, espe-
cially those that have been marked
as high-priority due to their possibil-
ity of electrical hazards, past com-
plaints, and poor safety records.
In Ontario, there have been a
reported 70 electricity -related fa-
talities in all sectors since 2000.
Of those, 34 occurred while work-
ers were near exposed electrical
equipment. Twenty-nine in which
workers were working on energized
equipment and seven were working
on faulty equipment. Although there
were few injuries related to electri-
cal equipment in the mining sec-
tor, ministry inspectors frequently
issue orders to mine employers to
improve their electrical safety prac-
tices and protocols.
"We want that number to be zero.
With the leadership shown here at
Sifto, we're going to get to that num-
ber across the province," Fonseca
said. "The labour and management
work so well together here. On behalf
of the Ministry of Labour, Province
of Ontario I'd like to thank you for
the work you do. Our most important
resource is people. At the Ministry of
Labour it's paramount."
Last year, Ontario's 430 full -tune
occupational health and safety in-
spectors focused on other areas dur-
ing similar blitzes including demoli-
tion construction, and new and young
workers. Since 2004, Fonseca said
the ministry lowered lost time inju-
ries in all industry by 20 per cent.
"You've got what is called the
prettiest town in all of Canada, and I
have to attest to that. It's God's coun-
try here, but what I didn't know was
what a pretty belowground you have
as well," Fonseca said, uncovering a
hidden rock of halite stowed away
in his pocket. "I'll never look at salt
the same way again, that's for sure."
To learn more about Ontario's four-
year SAWO plan, visit the ministry
web site at www.labour.gov.on.ca.
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