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Miners prepare for summer tourney

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Six teams competed last year at the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission's Mine Rescue competition. Meadowbank won first place in first aid and took second place in firefighting, rope rescue and surface obstacle. photo courtesy Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd

Obstacle courses, rope rescue and firefighting – these sorts of heroics aren’t common in the workplace, but Northern miners will be putting their training on display this summer in the annual Mine Rescue competition.

The Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission’s 61st Mine Rescue Competition takes place from June 1 to June 2 this summer at the Multiplex and Fieldhouse grounds in Yellowknife.

Six teams competed last year at the Workers’ Safety and Compensation Commission's Mine Rescue competition. Meadowbank won first place in first aid and took second place in firefighting, rope rescue and surface obstacle.
NNSL file photo

In underground mining tests, two teams from Nunavut will compete against one from the NWT. In surface mining competitions, two from the NWT will compete against two from Nunavut and one from northern Ontario.

Every other year, the winning team moves on to the Western Regionals in Fernie, BC, but this year is the off-year.

The competition consists of the following tasks,” said Maggie Collins, communications manager for the WSCC, “Written examination, bench test of equipment, work in smoke, first aid, firefighting, rope rescue and obstacle and recovery.

Because the tasks drills could consist of one, some, or all of (those) drills, team training must cover a broad spectrum of skills.”

She said a big aspect of the competition is being able to complete one task and then move on to the next one, which might be a very different scenario.

Last year, the best overall surface team was De Beers’ Gahcho Kué and the best overall underground team was Diavik Diamond Mine.

Last year was the 60th anniversary of the competition, which introduces some game theory to making safety a priority in the workplace.

WSCC president Dave Grundy wrote in his blog that a wooden structure – part of an underground mining simulation – almost blew over in the wind and volunteers, team members and organizers all banded together to hold the thing in place, while gusts battered against it, so competitors could finish the exercise.

As in a rescue situation at a remote Northern mine, it’s all about quick thinking and teamwork.

FACT FILE: Mine Rescue competitors

Surface Teams

  • Dominion Diamond Mines, NWT
  • De Beers Canada’s Gahcho Kué Mine, NWT
  • Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation, Nunavut
  • Agnico Eagle’s Meadowbank, Nunavut
  • De Beers Canada’s Victor Mine, Ontario

Underground Teams

  • Diavik Diamond Mine, NWT
  • Agnico Eagle’s Meliadine, Nunavut
  • TMAC Resources Inc.’s Hope Bay Mine, Nunavut