Ensuring Worker Safety at an Eastern Canadian gold mine

A gold mine project in Eastern Canada faces unique challenges in providing safety equipment due to the remote location and unreliable potable water supply. The extremely low temperatures make the provision of tepid water to a safety shower both challenging and costly. Installing the necessary pipework for safety equipment is an expensive endeavor, further complicated by the need for additional protection to prevent freezing and breaking. These harsh conditions could make any water provisions dangerously cold, posing a risk of hypothermia to workers. Moreover, the cold can damage water pipes, rendering safety showers unusable in an emergency. Therefore, selecting emergency safety showers that are reliable and customizable is crucial to ensure worker safety and meet the unique site requirements.

Understanding The Hazards

Gold mines necessitate the use of potent chemicals to dissolve and separate the gold from the ore. Many large gold mines often use liquid cyanide. High concentrations of liquid cyanide contacting skin can prove fatal if the casualty does not immediately decontaminate. Similar to when cyanide is ingested, the skin can also absorb the chemical and lead to cyanide poisoning. Though PPE is a must, the site should always provide the necessary decontamination equipment required to deal with an accidental spill.

Decontamination

• If a casualty is doused in liquid cyanide, they should immediately access a nearby safety shower to decontaminate. ANSI Z358.1-2014 specifies a safety shower must be in 10 seconds reach of a hazard to relieve a casualty as quickly as possible.
• The user should remove any contaminated clothing.
• The casualty must remain under a constant stream of tepid water for 15 minutes.
• At this point a medical professional should be on-hand to treat the casualty.

The Solution

After close collaboration with the engineers responsible for designing the solution, Hughes Safety Showers provided 2000L Polar tank-fed safety showers. These showers are self-contained and specifically designed for remote locations without access to a reliable water source in freezing climates. With a tank fed safety shower the challenge of providing a water source becomes obsolete. This self-contained solution gives the site flexibility, allowing the decontamination station to be installed anywhere in the mine without having to consider the distance from a water source.

As standard the polar cubicle showers are immersion heated to maintain a constant temperature within the water tank while an internal room heater and double-swing doors protect the user directly from harsh external temperatures.

Tailored Requirements

The showers were tailored to meet the mine's specific requirements.

• Voltage specifications were required to accommodate the power supply at the site.
• Alarm packages alert nearby and remote users when a safety shower is activated.
• The addition of an access ramp prevents trip hazards to a user entering the shower who may be unsteady or vision impaired.

These customizations ensure that the safety showers seamlessly integrate into the mine's existing infrastructure and provide optimal functionality for the workers.

The delivery of the 2000L Polar safety showers is scheduled to take place between July and September of this year, ensuring that the necessary safety measures are in place before the mine becomes fully operational.

By prioritizing worker safety and investing in reliable, customized emergency equipment, the operators of the mine demonstrate its commitment to creating a safe working environment at the mine project. The self-contained safety showers from Hughes Safety Showers will play a crucial role in mitigating potential risks and providing immediate response in case of emergencies, ensuring the well-being of the mine's workforce.

For expert safety shower advice submit an enquiry to Hughes today. Our 55+ continuous years of engineering and manufacturing expertise in safety equipment gives us the knowledge necessary to determine the solutions for your specific site needs.