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The Ontario government is working for the province’s 29,000 mine workers by introducing new rules to improve ventilation requirements in underground mines and lower exposure to harmful diesel exhaust to the most protective levels in North America. Long-term exposure to diesel exhaust can be a significant cause of lung cancer in miners.
“Miners have been the backbone of Ontario’s economy for generations, and we owe it to them and their families to do more to keep them safe,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. “These everyday heroes are critical to the future of our great province and I’m proud that our changes today will save lives.”
In addition, the government is making changes to allow for the use of track-mounted robots in mines to increase safety. These specialized machines with a high-definition camera will be controlled by an operator to identify loose rocks, misfired explosives and other safety hazards, while keeping workers out of danger.
“I come from a proud mining family and keeping workers safe has always been a top priority, but we can do better,” said George Pirie, Minister of Mines. “As our government helps companies build more mines, we need to attract the best and brightest to work in this exciting sector. These changes send the message that you can find safe, rewarding careers in Ontario’s mining industry.”
These amendments respond to calls from unions for a reduction of how much diesel particulate miners can be exposed to underground and follow recommendations from the Mining Health, Safety and Prevention Reviewand recent coroner’s inquests.
The changes expand on the ground-breaking actions introduced by the government in the Working for Workers Act, 2023, which proposes new health and safety protections for workers, including fines for withholding passports, better protections for remote workers during mass terminations, and job-protected leave for military reservists. They also build upon recent regulatory amendments to require women’s-only washrooms on construction sites and to expand cancer coverage for firefighters.
The Ontario government is helping to build a strong critical minerals sector in the province. Through investments and support, Ontario is unlocking Northern Ontario’s economic potential in critical minerals and connecting these resources to the world-class manufacturing capabilities in Southern Ontario. The province has tremendous opportunities for critical minerals to support future economic prosperity. These important resources are critical to products that the people of Ontario rely on, including cell phones, electric vehicles (EVs) and the semiconductors in countless goods.
The regulatory amendments will come into force on July 1, 2023, and others in effect on September 1, 2023, to allow employers time to comply. Effective September 1, 2023, the new exposure limit will be a time-weighted average exposure to elemental carbon of not more than 0.12 milligrams per cubic metre of air, instead of 0.4 milligrams per cubic metre of air based on total carbon.
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