A worker was suspended on a platform inside a mine shaft near Sudbury. The task was removing a power cable from the shaft wall — cutting the metal bands, coiling the cable on the platform. It seemed routine. It ended with a worker trapped in a tightening cable loop and a $135,000 fine for the employer.
What Happened
On October 22, 2024, three DMC Mining Services Ltd. workers were on a suspended platform at the Victoria Mine, approximately 35 kilometres west of Sudbury. They were removing a power cable from the wall of a mine shaft by cutting the bands securing it and coiling the cable on the platform.
As the coil accumulated, the platform got crowded. One worker stepped inside the coil to make room. When the crew finished cutting and the free end of the cable dropped below the platform, the coil tightened. The worker inside was caught and injured before they could escape.
A Ministry investigation determined that the safe method for this work was to remove the cable from bottom to top — a sequence that avoids a large coil accumulating on the platform at all. DMC Mining had not established that procedure. Workers improvised their own approach. One worker ended up standing inside a cable that could — and did — tighten around them.
The company pleaded guilty in Sudbury Provincial Offences Court and was fined $135,000 plus a 25% victim fine surcharge under Section 25(2)(h) of the OHSA.
What the Law Says
Section 25(2)(h) OHSA: "An employer shall take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances for the protection of a worker."
Basically, what this means is simple: identifying the coiling hazard and establishing a procedure to prevent workers from standing inside an accumulating cable coil is a reasonable precaution. Not having that procedure is a Section 25(2)(h) violation.
Three Things This Case Teaches Ontario Mining Employers
- Cable and rope handling on suspended platforms in confined spaces requires a written, task-specific safe-work procedure. Worker positioning relative to the load must be explicitly addressed.
- The removal sequence matters. Bottom-to-top cable removal avoids coil accumulation on the platform altogether. If your procedure doesn't specify sequence, workers will improvise — and improvisation on a suspended platform creates unpredictable hazards.
- Platform crowding is a hazard, not an inconvenience. When the platform fills up, the response must be to offload or stop — not to step inside the material being handled.
If your mine crews handle cable or rope in shafts, raise bores, or elevated workings, review your safe-work procedures for this specific hazard. The full analysis is in the WorkSafe Sounds article linked above.