Principles of Ontario Hoisting Plant Operation and Maintenance in an MSHA Mine
Dan Miners, Nordmin Group of Companies
As a result of a number of fatalities in the 1970’s a committee comprised of labor, management and suppliers was organized to develop comprehensive, black and white regulations for the safe operations of hoisting plants in Ontario, Canada. These regulations were based on ‘best practices’ and the track record of Ontario hoisting plants since the 1980’s is second to none. There is a fair bit of verlap with MSHA regulations, however the Ontario regulations identifies very specific detail that eliminate the ‘interpretation’ of regulations that can cause tension between operators and MSHA inspectors. In addition to the regulations, the Ontario Ministry of Labour also published comprehensive guidelines to aid in interpreting the Ontario regulations, based on actual cases and rulings. The practical nature of these regulations and guidelines has lead to them being adopted as an internal standard for many mining companies in their world‐wide operations. This course will serve as an introduction to the sections of the Ontario Regulations as they pertain to hoist plants, and how following their application, will improve hoist plant safety and performance. The actual hoist logbooks used by operators, mechanics, electricians and shaftmen will be reviewed and the regulations covered by them. A checklist of regulatory requirements for the year will also be provided to the participants that will allow an easy planning and auditing of daily, weekly, monthly and annual maintenance. An additional portion of the course will aid maintenance personnel in identifying trouble spots in their inspections of headframes, shaft fittings, and the hoist equipment. This is aimed at helping on‐shift inspectors determine when it is a good time to call for the engineer.
Keywords:
Regulations, hoisting plant, shaft operation
