Before a worker fell from a scissor truck platform and sustained critical injuries at Glencore's Nickel Rim South Mine, the crew had already identified three problems. They found a missing railing pin during the pre-use inspection. They used a chain on the rear railing in a way that damaged it further. And they worked in a stope that hadn't been cleared of muck — the uneven ground that causes mine vehicles to shift unexpectedly.
They noted these things. Then they kept working. And a worker fell.
What Happened
On October 20, 2023, two workers at the Nickel Rim South Mine in Skead, Ontario were using a MacLean Scissor Truck to extend backfill lines and remove a ventilation curtain in an underground stope.
During a pre-use inspection, the workers noticed a missing pin on the rear railing of the scissor deck. They did not stop work. They did not remove the equipment from service. They proceeded.
The work area had not been cleared of muck — accumulated mining material from blasting. Muck creates uneven ground. Uneven ground causes vehicle movement to be unpredictable.
During the work, the crew used a chain attached to the rear railing to pull piping into position. This is not an approved method. It damaged the railing further. The crew continued.
When the truck moved forward over the uneven muck, the worker on the back deck — the compromised deck — fell and sustained critical injuries.
The Ministry investigation identified the failure to clear the muck as the key precaution Glencore had omitted. The company pleaded guilty in Sudbury Provincial Offences Court and was fined $120,000 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: clearing muck from a work area before operating elevated mobile equipment is a reasonable precaution. So is removing equipment from service when the pre-use inspection finds a defect. So is not improvising rigging methods that damage safety components.
All three reasonable precautions were skipped.
Three Things This Case Teaches Ontario Mining Employers
- A pre-use inspection that finds a defect but allows work to continue is not a safety system. Equipment with compromised fall-protection components (missing pins, damaged railings) must be removed from service — not noted and continued around.
- Muck clearance before elevated platform work is a basic, non-negotiable precaution. Uneven ground and mobile equipment do not mix when workers are elevated. This must be a written, confirmed precondition — not an optional preparation step.
- Improvised rigging methods that use safety components as attachment points are prohibited. When this happens on a platform that already has a known defect, it compounds an existing risk into a critical hazard.
If your mine crews use scissor trucks or elevated mobile platforms underground, review your pre-task assessment and stop-work authority procedures. The full analysis is in the WorkSafe Sounds article linked above.