Hazards facing explorationists include animal attacks, avalanches

There are few, if any, occupations that expose individuals to such a variety of hazards as mineral exploration does. Several characteristics of the exploration sector in Western Canada are probably unique to the industry and affect safety considerations and monitoring. The “workplace,” commonly referred to by Workers’ Compensation Boards, is unusual in Western Canada — it encompasses some 600,000 square miles.

The unwary could succumb to any one of 20 or more potentially fatal hazards: falls in crevasses or on rough to precipitous ground, avalanches or falling rock, hypothermia, hyperthermia or asphyxiation, exposure, drowning, lightning strikes, tree falls, animal attacks and a variety of travel-related causes including aircraft, vehicles and boats, over which no direct control may be exerted by passengers.

Many potential hazards are more life-threatening than others, particularly those of a travel-related nature. Included are helicopter accidents with a 10% chance of a fatality and mountaineering accidents with a 20% fatality rate. Two canoe- related accidents since 1982 in exploration in Western Canada have resulted in five deaths caused by hypothermia and drowning.

During the last decade bear attacks on individuals in British Columbia have resulted in six fatalities, of which one was a diamond driller, and 52 persons injured. None, however, were attributed to explorationists.

Four falls into crevasses in the last 40 years by exploration personnel not adequately equipped or trained in glacier travel have resulted in four fatalities. By contrast, a mountaineering expedition into the Mount McKinley area in Alaska experienced some 70 falls into crevasses without loss of life.

The workforce in Western Canada averages about 3,000 explorationists annually. It includes a large number of students with little previous wilderness experience who will often work alone or in small isolated groups. Personnel must be vigilant in recognizing potential hazards in order to safeguard themselves, their co-workers and those working under their supervision. Of 17 fatalities recorded by the exploration sector in the 1980s, nine involved individuals less than 25 years old.

The British Columbia & Yukon Chamber of mines’ safety committee was formed in September, 1980, following a particularly tragic year in exploration in Western Canada when 10 people, including two pilots, lost their lives in three separate helicopter accidents.

The safety committee’s objectives have been influenced by the recognition that many explorationists are individuals or small organizations often lacking the resources to provide adequate safety controls in their work. Largely for their benefit, Safety Manual for Mineral Exploration in Western Canada was published in 1982. Following the sale of the 5,000 booklets printed, the manual was revised and 8,000 copies of the 125-page booklet were printed in 1989. Although mostly used in Western Canada, the manual has been widely circulated throughout North America.

In order to stimulate and recognize excellent safety performance within the industry, the safety committee instituted an Exploration Safety Award in the form of a framed diploma in 1982. Since then, the diploma has been presented to 231 companies that have operated for one year without a lost workday accident. An Annual Safety Award is also presented to the company judged to have had the most outstanding safety record following a minimum of 10,000 man hours without a lost workday accident. The award, presented retroactively to 1982, has been awarded to juniors and majors recording from 25,000 to 150,000 accident-free hours. David Barr is the Safety Committee Chairman of the British Columbia and Yukon Chamber of Mines.