Employer failed to ensure workers are following safety procedures, says prosecutor
Diavik Diamond Mines Inc – a subsidiary of Rio Tinto – has been fined $143,750 after one worker suffered serious injuries to the hand.
The incident happened on Jan. 26, 2023, when the worker was using a hose to clean a rock fill mixer – a heavy piece of machinery used to mix the rock and cement that goes on to fill excavated areas of the mine.
When the man switched the hose between his hands, the end of the hose and then his left hand were pulled into the machine, reported Cabin Radio, citing the agreed statement of facts on the case.
“As a result, the man suffered multiple fractures to his hand and degloving – when the skin and soft tissue are rippled from the muscle beneath. Three of his fingers were amputated, one of which was saved in emergency surgery,” according to the report.
The mine’s standard operating procedure for the mixer at the time required it to be turned off and locked out while it was cleaned. Instead of turning the machine off, the workers had been reducing the mixer’s speed to 10 percent during cleaning.
However, the workers had not been following that policy for “quite some time” after changes to the machine, said prosecutor Roger Shepard, according to the report.
The mixer was also considered easier to clean while its blades or paddles were moving.
Diavik had failed to ensure the proper procedures were being followed and that workers knew how to deal with hazards. The employer also violated machine guarding rules.
“This was a preventable accident,” said the prosecutor.
