Explosive detonated at Giant Mine with worker underground

Blasters at the Giant Mine remediation project detonated an explosive last Tuesday while one worker was still underground and in close proximity to the blast, the Giant Mine project team confirmed to CBC.

A contractor with knowledge of the incident told CBC that the blasters also failed to warn above-ground employees, who felt the blast below them, but never received any of the one-hour, 10-minute and two-minute warnings required by safety protocols.

CBC has agreed to protect the contractor's identity due to fear of repercussions at work. 

"We had workers working above ground who felt the vibrations and the shock of the blast," the person said. 

"We're not very happy right now either," the contractor added. "When you feel a shock below you, you wonder what the hell is going on."

Natalie Plato, deputy director for the Giant Mine Remediation Project, acknowledged the Jan. 11 incident in an e-mail.

Plato confirmed reports from staff that the underground worker, who is a sub-contractor to Parsons, the main construction manager, was "believed to be tagged out as above-ground" but "was still underground and within close proximity to a detonated blast."

Plato did not address questions about specific safety protocols that were missed. 

Other workers who felt the blast reverberate saw dust come out of the underground portal, the contractor said, and want to know why they were never warned by Procon, the company that is contracted by Parsons to perform blasting.

Procon is a B.C.-based mine contractor that works on underground projects around the world. 

The company did not respond to multiple requests for comment from CBC.

'Why weren't we advised?'

Commonly, there is a 200-metre zone where no person can go during active blasting, the contractor told CBC.

"There are protocols that everyone knows a blast is coming… Why weren't we advised they were blasting and why didn't they go through a protocol?"

Plato said the incident is being reviewed by the Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission, which also confirmed it was investigating in an email to CBC.

"The health and safety of onsite workers is of utmost importance to the Government of Canada, the Giant Mine Project Team, the main construction manager, and its subcontractors and their employees," wrote Plato.

"We are thankful that everyone is safe and that there were no reported injuries."

The WSCC investigated the incident and gave its inspection report to Parsons, which is now reviewing the report and is "performing their own investigation to identify and address deficiencies found through the investigative processes," Plato wrote.

The project team for Giant Mine declined an interview, and said Parsons "will continue to work with all sub-contractors to ensure safety protocols meet the needs of the work conducted on the Giant Mine site and are followed accordingly and prevent future incidents."