The late '60's were a time of change for mining in Canada as companies began a search for higher productivity and lower costs. Mechanization was the main change agent, but few, if any mines of the day were designed to be mechanized. The 1,200 level of T3 was a good example of an old mining method combined with new equipment. The mining method was timber cut and fill with primary and secondary (pillar) stopes. The fill was sand fill cycloned from mill tails and transported underground through a series of pipes as a slurry that would drain for days after being placed in a stope. Primary stopes were mined upwards and pillars were mined downwards. Drilling was all done with hand held machines...jacklegs and stopers. Blasting was done mainly with anfo loaded with small bex loaders. Tape fuse was the most common detonator, combined with thermolite cord for hole timing. Mucking was done with air or electric slushers into mill holes, although 1,200 level had two scooptrams...one for each end of the level. Ground support was extensive, consisting mostly of 8 foot rockbolts with wire mesh screen. In some areas 21 foot extension bolts were installed to hold suspected unstable ground. Haulage was done with battery locos on the main level from mill holes to a central ore pass connected to the 1,400 level trolley system.
As mentioned above, 1,200 level had two scooptrams. One was a Wagner ST2 and the other was an ST3. The scooptrams were located at opposite ends of the level, and once mining had proceeded upwards past the level the scooptrams became captive to their respective stopes. Utilization was therefore very low, but cycle productivity received a boost from the larger and faster scooptrams compared to slushers. Scooptrams also introduced new problems, including diesel particulate to the workplace, new procedures for handling and storage of volatiles and much more time and attention spent on ventilation. Nowadays, after 50 years mines are moving to battery power in an attempt to clean the air and reduce CO2 emissions.
INCO took employee safety very seriously, even back then. Each mine had a safety officer who would visit levels unannounced to review how employees were working and whether infractions of the rules had occurred. Violators were disciplined...usually with suspension or occasionally with termination. Accidents were tracked on a large 52 week board on surface where each supervisor had an icon shaped like a horse in a race with other supervisors' horses. A lost time would set the horse back to the start. A medical aid would hold the horse in place for a week.
Occupational health however was not as great a priority. Ear protection was seldom available. Employees were aware of how noise would affect their hearing so many, including me would use rolled up tissue paper soaked in spit and jammed into our ears to protect hearing. Several employees had begun using ear muffs but they were not common and were viewed by most miners as being a "sissy" thing to wear. Sanitary facilities were good. We had a two hole chemical toilet on our level. Unfortunately it was located near the lunch room, where frequent traffic would be able to observe who was using the facility and for how long.
There was a lunchroom, located about 200 feet from the shaft station. Everyone was required to go there at shift start, lunch time and shift end. The supervisor used the front section as his office and line up area. Farther back were two rows of benches where miners sat and waited their turn for instructions. Seniority was used to determine who sat nearest the front and woe be to the man who sat in someone else's spot. Lunchrooms also served as refuge stations for emergencies. Stench warning tests were conducted at least annually.
Attendance was normally 5 days per week on alternating day and afternoon shifts. Dayshift Saturday was an additional optional shift at overtime rates for anyone who decided to attend. INCO had an interesting absentee policy...if you missed a shift without acceptable reason you were not allowed to work on Saturday. You could miss up to 9 consecutive shifts each quarter and remain on the payroll. If you returned after 9 missed shifts you still had a job but you could not work that Saturday. One man on our crew, named Art was prone to taking 9 shifts to return home somewhere in Saskatchewan for R&R. Once, upon his return the supervisor told him if he missed again within the next three months he would be given 5 days off without pay. Art quipped that was fine with him, as he would just go home for a week, but the supervisor quipped back that he would get every WEDNESDAY off for 5 consecutive weeks. Art lost out on that one!
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