Mining companies fined $210K following workplace fatality

Two mining companies – one based in Toronto, the other in Quebec – have been fined for the 2024 death of a worker at a job site in northern Ontario. (File)

Two mining companies – one based in Toronto, the other in Quebec – have been fined for the 2024 death of a worker at a job site in northern Ontario.

The worker died in August 2024 while working at an Angus Gold’s Golden Sky Project on Paint Lake Road, about 50 km west of Wawa.

Angus Gold had contracted G4 Drilling to help with mining exploration activities. G4 is based in Val-d’Or, Que., while Angus Gold is based in Toronto.

“On Aug. 23 of that year, a helicopter contractor was conducting operations to move drilling equipment about 25 nautical miles west of Wawa, Ont.,” the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development said in a news release May 22.

Moving drilling equipment

“G4 was assisting in the move. By late afternoon, only a metal cage was left to move. A G4 Drilling foreperson and assistant foreperson were stationed at the old site attaching equipment to a longline.”

A longline is a high-strength rope or cable used to suspend cargo beneath a helicopter. A G4 driller and a helper from that company were at the new site preparing to receive the cage.

“When the helicopter reached the new site, there were difficulties in positioning the cage,” the release said.

“After several unsuccessful attempts, the pilot decided to bring the G4 assistant foreperson to the new site to help. Still unsuccessful in positioning the cage at the new site, the pilot called over the radio to the G4 driller that they had to leave to refuel the helicopter.”

However, the G4 driller was the only one who had a portable handheld radio, which meant that the driller didn’t get the message.

“The pilot lifted off without confirmation from anyone on the ground that it was safe to do so,” the release said.

Cage still attached to the helicopter

“The pilot began to climb, lifting the cage still attached to the helicopter. The G4 assistant foreperson became entangled in two taglines.”

Taglines are fibre ropes attached to suspended loads to control rotation and pendulum motion.

“Workers who saw the foreperson caught in the rigging tried to contact the pilot via radio, but the pilot could not understand what was being said,” the release said.

“The foreperson was eventually freed from the taglines, fell from the helicopter and was fatally injured.”

An investigation by the Ministry found that Angus Gold didn’t conduct a risk assessment for the summer drilling operations involving helicopter use, a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

The investigation also determined that G4 Drilling failed to provide effective radio communication equipment to workers. The company therefore failed to take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker, also a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Following a guilty plea in the Thunder Bay Provincial Offences Court, Angus Gold was fined $110,000 by Justice of the Peace J. A. Bernard Caron and G4 Drilling was fined $100,000 by Justice of the Peace Daphne Armstrong; Crown Counsel was David McCaskill.

The court also imposed a 25 per cent victim fine surcharge as required by the Provincial Offences Act.

The surcharge is credited to a special provincial government fund to help victims of crime.