Occupational disease continues to be a leading cause of illness and death to workers in the mining industry.
Between 2011 and 2015, there were 106 occupational disease fatalities in Ontario’s mining sector, based on Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) data.
Employers must ensure measure and controls are in place to protect workers from exposure to hazards that can lead to immediate (acute) or long-term (latency) health effects. The risk of worker exposure to these hazards must be determined before work is performed.
Some examples of occupational disease in mining include:
asbestosis, mesothelioma
silicosis
cancers
lung (gold mining, coke oven)
nasal (nickel)
gastro-intestinal
chronic obstructive lung disease (sulfur dioxide)
emphysema
skin diseases
hearing loss
Some examples of exposure that can lead to occupational disease in mining include:
blasting gases: carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen, ammonia, and sulfur dioxide
diesel emissions: elemental/organic carbon, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide
drilling, mucking, rockbreaking: silica, general dust
refining: metals, sulfur dioxide, dust, chemical reagents
welding fumes, from the heating and burning of metal surfaces
Hazard controls may include:
engineering controls that prevent worker exposure to chemical, or biological hazards in underground and surface mines
safe work practices that include providing adequate ventilation or controls that eliminate or reduce exposure to safe limits
prescribed personal protective equipment (PPE) for tasks
training to enable workers to recognize occupational disease hazards
training workers on the prescribed use of PPE