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June/July 2013 21 mine, the sudden darkness that hits as we enter the cave is unsettling. But the nerves are quickly taken over by curios- ity and awe as the mine starts to come to life with vehicles passing us every few seconds and workers and machines begin to appear as we go further down the pit. Spicer recalls the fi rst time she went down a mine. It was an older mine with an underground vertical elevator access. "You step in this box and you're in there with a whole bunch of other people. It was a very busy mine and we were crammed in there standing very, very close to one another and everyone got in and shut out their cap lamp, and we dropped down at a very high speed." She remembers wondering at that very moment, as the elevator sped down into that pitch black hole, about the career choice she had made for herself. But any second thoughts about her chosen fi eld back then would have been fl eeting. As she looks back, she cannot imagine being in a more rewarding pro- fession today. " e mining industry really (takes) safety seriously and to heart. It wasn't just something that they have to do. It's a part of doing business and I knew that wherever I worked that I have to be taken seriously," Spicer says. Workers, too, know the conse- quences of not taking safety seriously. e magnifi ed noise from trucks coming and going, the strong smell of diesel, dust in the air and the heat that builds up as the task gets more strenuous would characterize a typical workplace for mine workers underground — not to mention the uncomfortable yet cru- cial PPE they have to wear at all times. Spicer tries to keep every encounter with the workers as positive as pos- sible, encouraging the workers for all the things they're doing correctly and reminding them of the importance of safe work practices in their line of work. "Keeping things positive is one of the ways of engaging them, because I am not on site just to point out everything wrong. I am trying to encourage them in what they're doing correctly and to keep doing it in a positive, correct way," Spicer says. e truck stops at an intersection and we walk the rest of the way to a group of workers operating a jumbo drill. As she approaches, Spicer fi rst observes the work environment and how the workers are performing their task, before work- ers are given a signal to stop working. Spicer introduces herself to the work- ers and asks to review the fi ve-point card with them. At the beginning of each shi , workers are given instruc- tions by their supervisor on the task they will be doing that day as well as things — especially hazards — they need to look out for. e fi ve-point card outlines these safety reminders. "Most everyone is accustomed to reviewing their card with the super- visors and safety people," Spicer says. " ey pull out their card and hand it to us. We review it and we discuss it, so it's all safety discussion." We stop by other workstations within the mine and each time, Spicer repeats the process of observing the work area and talking to the workers. Spicer says the biggest challenge for her had been learning all the mining terms and procedures. Even a er eight years on the job, she admits she is still learning. "Mining is very technical. ere is a lot to learn," says Spicer. "Every site does something a little bit diff erently, so every time I travel I try to learn as much as I can about their methods and what they're doing in terms of safety, that maybe I could pull to another site." Back to the surface A er about three hours of being under- ground, we are ready to go back to the surface. e trip back up was less unnerving — the thought that there is light at the end of this particular tunnel was extremely gratifying. Sitting — more like bouncing, really — in the truck, I make a silent promise to never again take daylight for granted. At about half past 3:00 p.m. we reach the surface — but the day isn't over for Spicer. Off to the next task, we go. She is sitting down with site supervi- sors to prepare for the next day's safety huddle with the workers, during which they plan to do a presentation and training on Redpath's Fatality Preven- tion Program. "It's a program that we're rolling out globally," says Spicer. "It's nothing really new other than it's a renewed focus on our more high-risk types of hazards and the training just involves the basics on what types of tasks are deemed high- risk based on our history, based on just the industry, in general." Presenting the training materials to the site supervisors and superintendent, Spicer tells them it's important they be able to convey the message to the work- ers. ings like hierarchy of controls, how to use their tools properly and performing job observations and risk assessments are some of the things they will be discussing with the workers. e idea, Spicer explains, is to pro- vide the site with the tools and the resource they need to run the safety program eff ectively. "As a safety person I want to be acting as a resource to the site. I don't want to necessarily be just the 'safety person.' I'm trying to support the superinten- dent, the supervisors and the workers. So, I provide them with the information and they should be able to use it in their workplace." All in a day's work It's almost the end of the day and Spicer fi nishes up her presentation. ere is a discussion on whether to do the worker training at the end of the shi or in the 7DNHQRFKDQFHV OHDUQDERXW\RXUVNLQDQGWKHVXQ 6NLQ&DQFHULVSUHYHQWDEOH 2XUIRUPXODWLRQRIIHUV %URDGVSHFWUXPSURWHFWLRQ DJDLQVW89$89%UD\V :DWHUUHVLVWDQWDQGVZHDW UHVLVWDQW 'HUPDWRORJLVWWHVWHG 3URYLGHVKLJKVXQEXUQ SURWHFWLRQ 3DEDIUHH 7KUHH\HDUVKHOIOLIH &RQYHQLHQWSDFNDJLQJIRUPDWV IRUDOODSSOLFDWLRQV )RUD)5((VDPSOHFRQWDFWXV ZZZGHQWHFVDIHW\FRP 6SHFLDOL]LQJLQVDIHW\VROXWLRQV 7UDLQLQJ6XSSRUW 6KLHOG%UDQG SPONSORED FEATURE | Top: Spicer discusses the mine layout with site surveyor Darin Bettiol. morning before they start work. Timing is important, Spicer says, and will determine the level of attention the workers would give the informa- tion being provided. e beginning of a shi is usually more ideal — the minds are still fresh and workers can take whatever information they get from the training and practice it in the workplace. Experience tells Spicer doing training at the end of a shi can be less eff ective — mainly because the workers are usually tired and ready to go home. But she leaves the decision up to the supervisors. Day two of Spicer's Lalor Mine visit looks busy: worker training and a full site audit above and underground are among the items on her agenda. To an outsider like me, the day I spent watching Spicer work was an extraordinary experience. To Spicer, however, it's just another day in the life of a safety professional.