More inclusivity, more technology and always a passion for worker safety is what is needed to move the Ontario mining industry forward, said the person who heads up Workplace Safety North , the agency that oversees safety in the Ontario mining industry.
There are roughly 31,000 actual mining jobs, supported by another 47,000 other jobs in the mining supply and service industries. He added that the industry itself is being challenged by mines that have to go deeper to continue operating, and by mining projects that are being developed in more remote parts of Ontario."They may pass English as a second language. They may have different skin colours, different genders. It's going to be different, but we need the talent," he said.
Parent also spoke of the changes in Ontario Mine Rescue, the organization that provides firefighting, immediate first aid and rescue services in all Ontario mines. One of the newer developments is to train mine rescuers to do surface firefighting, because in some cases, working mines are located remotely, and the nearest municipal firefighters are either too far away or they do not have specialized equipment for mine fires.