International Mine Rescue Competition Appoints Canadian Chair
Marc Lauzier, Goldcorp VP welcomed by Workplace Safety North
NORTH BAY, ON – In 1928, a fire broke out in a Timmins gold mine, killing 39 miners. This incident, one of the worst mining disasters in Canadian history, led to the creation of the internationally renowned Ontario Mine Rescue (OMR) emergency response service, a part of Workplace Safety North (WSN).
Each year in Canada, when fires break out in underground mines or miners become trapped or injured, you can’t simply dial 911. Underground mines rely on highly trained and specialized teams of volunteers known as mine rescuers, who are prepared and equipped to respond at a moment’s notice.
WSN is pleased to announce the appointment of Marc Lauzier as chair of the 2016 International Mines Rescue Competition (IMRC 2016), taking place for the first time ever in Canada.
On August 19 to 26, 2016, in Sudbury, thirty teams from twenty countries will test their skills in mine emergency simulations and share best practices in crisis management. WSN will host this unique event that attracts mine rescue teams and observers from around the world. Since its inception in 1999, the goal of the biennial global competition has always been to allow mine rescue teams to learn best practices from around the world.
“We’re honoured that Marc, who is also Chair of the Ontario Mining Association, supports this unique event,” says Ted Hanley, OMR General Manager. “While this is the first time Canada hosts the International Mines Rescue Competition, Marc and the OMA have been passionate supporters of Ontario Mine Rescue for many years.”
Lauzier, Vice President of Operational Support in Canada and the United States at Goldcorp Inc., first signed up for mine rescue training in Quebec during his first year in the mining industry more than 20 years ago.
Marc Lauzier, chair of the International Mines Rescue Competition 2016, which will be held for the first time ever in Canada on Aug. 19-26 in Sudbury, ON.
“My very first year in the business, I took mine rescue training in Quebec,” says Lauzier. “When I moved to Ontario, it took me a couple of years to get back on the team because there was a waiting list back then! I finally got back on the team and I was probably active for five or six years and then I went on as a briefing officer and did that for a while until I got promoted to roles where I needed to work in the control room.”
The general public has been invited to attend, and Lauzier notes the Sudbury community has a special opportunity to observe the intensity of the competition, and the strength of their unique and special camaraderie.
Ontario Mine Rescue trains and equips hundreds of volunteers to fight fires, rescue injured personnel, and respond to a wide array of emergencies in the province’s mines. As organizer of Ontario’s annual district and provincial mine rescue competitions, OMR continually works to develop specialized mine emergency response training programs that have been adopted elsewhere in Canada and in several countries.
Workplace Safety North (WSN), an independent not-for-profit organization, is a leading provider of health and safety services, training, and resources for mining, mine rescue, forestry, paper, printing and converting sectors, as well as northern Ontario businesses across all sectors. As one of the four designated health and safety associations in Ontario, businesses call upon WSN for expert advice and information, classroom and online training programs, on-site consultations, health and safety audits, industrial hygiene testing, ergonomic assessments, and specific problem-solving.
Workplace Safety North – Every worker, home safe and healthy.
