Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/325035
S U M M E R 2 0 1 4 13 Is there really a problem? The exploration sector generally has a good safety record, but remote loca- tions complicate initial responses and emergency backup takes time to arrive on the scene. In some cases, help can be days away. For incidents within Canada, the Canadian Mineral Exploration Health & Safety annual reports provide a wealth of information, highlighting that most incidents are the usual slips and trips, machinery-related accidents, and field- work incidents – useful data to inform safety systems. Regarding overseas field- work, many companies jealously guard their safety and accident data. In preparation for delivering my presentation in March of 2013, I wanted to use recent examples. I quickly dis- covered case studies from the start of the year (i.e., a three-month period) of half a dozen geologists being kidnapped (including employees of Canadian min- ing companies) in various locations around the globe and staff dying of electrocution as a result of inadequate accommodation safety. What follows is a short list of sector- related incidents, and they are instructive: • A geologist died of heat stroke, having become disoriented and unable to find his vehicle. He didn't know how to do a spiral search or use his GPS to log the vehicle location before wandering into the field, nor did he have a satel- lite phone or basic survival training and gear. • Geologists were stranded in freezing conditions when their car broke down miles from nowhere without adequate survival gear and training. • Following an ATV accident, site staff – not having first-aid training – sim- ply put the individual in a pick-up truck and drove him several hours to hospital, taking no spinal stabilization precautions. • A worker's fall from a cliff in a remote area proved fatal. The coroner vilified the company in question for failing to have satellite phones and EPIRBs (the company had only a VHF radio). • Staff travelling in China were arrested and fined US$10,000 per person for carrying a GPS together with topo- graphical maps of the country; simi- larly, workers were arrested for bring- ing a satellite phone into India. New tech for safety and survival The Iraq and Afghanistan conf licts have seen huge developments in medical Are your staff prepared for work in remote locations? (opposite) Remote travel in Africa has its hazards; (this page, clockwise from top) Water immersion training in Norway; Landmines – a hazard in Cambodia; Signal training in Norway; Adopting new technology – whether electronic or medical – is a must; Driving in Namibia. p12-15_Safety+Paramedics.indd 13 14-05-26 1:37 PM