To ensure the Review was informed by public and stakeholder views as well as empirical data, the Chief Prevention Officer created a highly consultative and transparent process that included:

  1. An Advisory Group comprised of key mining stakeholders from employer and labour organizations and relevant health and safety organizations. Members were chosen for their demonstrated commitment to occupational health and safety in the mining sector, and their roles as recognized leaders within their professional / organizational communities.
  2. Twelve public consultations with individuals and organizations who are most affected by and knowledgeable about the mining sector, including mining community stakeholders and partners (both labour and employers), academic experts, educators / trainers, community organizations, government workers and other relevant groups and individuals. In total, 150 people participated in the public consultations, and the Review received 35 formal presentations and 64 written submissions.
  3. Four site visits to mines that represented different hard and soft rock mining environments, where the Chief Prevention Officer and members of the Advisory Group could observe first-hand a variety of mining techniques including bulk mining, cut-and-fill mining and room-and-pillar mining. The Review appreciated the invitation to visit and, most importantly, the chance to talk with the men and women who work underground at these mines: Nickel Rim South Mine, Glencore; Coleman Mine, Vale; Lockerby Mine, First Nickel in Sudbury; and Ojibway Mine, Windsor Salt in Windsor.
  4. Extensive research into best practices in mining safety, prevention and enforcement in Ontario and around the world, which provided information on initiatives that have been successful in improving mining health and safety.
  5. risk assessment to help the Review fully understand the risks workers face in underground mining. The results of the risk assessment will also help employers and workers as well as their representatives, the Ministry of Labour and Health and Safety Associations (HSAs) work together to mitigate risks and reduce the incidence of injury, illness and death in Ontario mining workplaces.
  6. Six working groups, with representatives from labour and employers, to address key issues identified by the Advisory Group. The working groups used a variety of sources of information including consulting subject matter experts, reviewing recommendations from previous inquiries and inquests, and feedback from the public consultations.
  7. resource group of subject matter experts who provided information to the working groups on an as-needed basis.

The Review was coordinated by a secretariat in the Ministry of Labour and supported by the Ministry’s Prevention Office, Health and Safety Policy Branch, Operations Division and Legal Services Branch in consultation with mining stakeholders. Additional support was provided by the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines and Workplace Safety North.