Overview
The following mine or mine site incidents must be reported under section 33(3) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHS Act) and section 544 of the OHS Code:
- an unexpected major ground fall or subsidence that endangers or may endanger workers, equipment or facilities
- an unplanned stoppage of the main underground ventilation system, if it lasts more than 30 minutes, or occurs repeatedly
- a vehicle that goes out of control
- an ignition of flammable gas, combustible dust or other material underground
- workers being withdrawn from a hazardous location under emergency conditions
- electrical equipment failures or incidents that cause, or threaten to cause, injury to workers or damage to equipment or facilities
- outbursts and inrushes
- an incident involving a hoist, sheave, hoisting rope, shaft conveyance, shaft, shaft timbering or head frame structure
- where the integrity of a dam or dike is affected at a mine or mine site (including cracking or evidence of weakening or subsidence, unexpected seepage or appearance of springs on the outer face, the freeboard being less than adequate, or a washout or significant erosion is present)
Reporting incidents
Employers or prime contractors (if there is one) must report a mine or mine site incident as soon as possible.
Workers can report an incident by contacting the OHS Contact Centre.
Resources:
Investigating incidents
To meet their obligations under the OHS Act, the employer or prime contractor (if there is one) must also:
- carry out an investigation of the incident
- prepare a report that outlines their investigation, including any corrective actions taken
- ensure a copy of the report is readily available and given to an OHS officer on demand
- provide a copy of the report to an OHS Director, the HSC or HS representative, if applicable. If there is no committee or representative, a copy must be made available to workers once the investigation is complete
- retain a copy of the report for at least 2 years after the incident
There is no longer a prohibition against disturbing the scene of a mine or mine site incident reportable under section 33(3) of the OHS Act unless an OHS officer orders such a prohibition. Please note that the authorization to disturb a scene doesn’t apply to all serious incidents. See Report serious injuries, illnesses and incidents for more information.
Incident investigation reports are not admissible as evidence for any purpose in a trial arising out of the injury or incident, except in a prosecution for perjury or for the giving of contradictory evidence.
Reporting serious injuries and incidents
The following incidents cannot be reported using the online form and must be reported through the OHS Contact Centre:
- worker fatality
- worker admitted to hospital
- worker injury or illness related to:
- unplanned explosion, fire and/or flood
- collapse/upset of a crane, derrick and/or hoist
- collapse of a building or structure
Contact
Connect with OHS:
Phone: 780-415-8690 (Edmonton)
Toll free: 1-866-415-8690
TTY: 780-427-9999 (Edmonton)
TTY: 1-800-232-7215