Occupational Health
Last updated on December 15, 2022Occupational hygiene, also called industrial hygiene, is the practice of preventing adverse health consequences due to exposures in the workplace. Occupational/industrial hygiene can be defined as the anticipation, recognition, evaluation and control of environmental stressors in or arising from the workplace that may result in injury, illness, impairment, or affect the well-being of workers.
Part 2 of the Health, Safety and Reclamation Code for Mines in British Columbia (Code) outlines the occupational health requirements for B.C. mining operations. The Code describes the responsibility of mine managers to develop and implement occupational health programs. Implemented programs serve to determine the health hazards which may arise from mining activity, evaluate those hazards and employ appropriate control measures. Required occupational health programs cover topics such as workplace exposure monitoring and medical surveillance.
The information and links below include guidelines and standards for best work practices related to the prevention of adverse health consequences in the workplace.
Chemical Handling, Use and Storage
Chemicals are used on mine sites for a variety of purposes such as metal extraction, lab analyses and cleaning equipment. The following document provides guidance on the use of perchloric acid and perchloric acid fume hoods.
Other guidelines to better clarify requirements set out in the Code are currently under development.
Lead Exposure
Lead exposure at mines is a concern if ore is lead containing (such as galena) and/or when lead is added during extraction or in another mining process. Lead is often used in fire assay, a laboratory method commonly used to extract gold. The following document provides guidance on reducing lead exposure in fire assay laboratories.
Lead exposure on mine sites can also occur from concentrate dust, welding or grinding materials containing lead, battery disposal and demolition activities.